Dresden
by Armageddon Child
Summary: If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take, but if the Angels choose to hide, may Demons watch my other side... -ABANDONED-
1. Prologue: In the Beginning

A/N: Yesh, I know...a very short prologue. I'm just testing the idea out actually. I won't be able to post the first chapter until after this weekend since I've got alot of stuff going on, but hey! I felt like it was a good idea and scenes of this story just keep playing over and over again in my head so I figured I should write it down before my head explodes. XD

THIRD FIC! Whoooo!!! head explodes

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**Dresden**

_Prologue: In The Beginning_

Father Scott Jacob lowered his ancient body into the creaking chair pushed close to his desk, taking a deep breath as the setting sun leaked through the window, casting the room in a blood-red wash. The dust settled as he ran a wrinkled hand over the worn red-leather book in his lap, a distant frown tugging at his lip.

The room was suddenly pitched into darkness as the setting sun was sucked behind the black clouds that had been looming over the small island-town of Woolsworth for hours. The Father heaved a large sigh and opened one of the desk drawers, letting the handle clatter back into place as he gently removed a white-wax candle from the depths.

The candle sputtered to life at the touch of a match.

Scott silently took up the twisted green-quill pen that had lain reverently by his hand until that moment, uncorking the ink well with a soft intake of breath and letting the cork roll in mindless circles. The red leather book settled perfectly into the wood-grains of the ocher desk, waiting silently with its unfilled pages.

The dark crimson ink rippled in its glass well as Father Jacob plunged the end of the quill beneath its surface, letting it drip dry for several seconds before transferring the quill-tip to the yellowed paper of the leather book.

He took a deep breath, and let the quill spin…

_In the beginning…there were Angels. And in the end…there were Demons. I was once a holy man. The people of this town called me 'Father', and they were all my children. I once believed that God was watching us. I believed He had a plan. I believed a lot of things…and for once, I believe I placed my faith in the wrong place._

_For in the beginning…there were the Angels. Creatures of light, neither man nor beast. The flowers spread where they walked, and the birds sang when they neared. In the beginning, there was life…but as I have learned…all living things must die._

_For in death…there were the Demons._

_I once believed in God._

_Yet I believe no more._

_Listen to my story._

_The story of my Angels…who fought like hell, to keep the Demons at bay…_


	2. Pt 1 Stage One: WoodFall

A/N: Erumph...I'm trying this new thing out where I'm splitting the story into two sections. Part one, and part two (go figure). Part one focuses mostly on my OC's (i hope that doesn't turn most of you away, because we all know I'm a sucker for my OC's), but Max and the flock enter via part two and a whole bunch of feathery fun begins.

The only way I can really describe this story is...hushed. It's silent. Like when youre standing in the snow and you can't hear anything because the snow muffles everything out. Action is a bit scarce during the first couple chapters (but that's mostly because I'm busy setting up plot, character, and setting...grrr I hate introductions) But when action does hit...it's sudden, voilent, and often very bloody and speckled with swearing (hence the T rating).

Sorry, for the long introduction...but for some reason I felt like I needed to explain myself. Oh, and for those of you that aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, Scott Jacob is the same person as Father Jacob, though in the prologue he is very old, and in the story he is very young (20 ). This story takes place five years after Max3. Yojne!

* * *

Dresden

Part One: Stage One: Wood-Fall

The trees flashed by in a ruffled blur, smearing the stars across the sky. Massive silver oaks shed their hoary leaves in a cascade of light-gray ripples along the cracked highway. The ground rumbled and the fallen leaves erupted into a skyward waterfall as a large blue SUV rushed along the road, scattering the deadened foliage.

Scott Jacob twisted the volume knob of the old stereo system set into the dashboard until the whining country songs became background noise. Wordlessly he turned his attention back to the road and the darkening sky beyond it. His eyes occasionally sliding to the passenger's seat where five-year-old girl with dark skin and tight braids sulked against the window.

"Lilly?" Scott finally asked.

The girl scowled out the window and kicked at the dashboard, her coffee colored eyes glimmering with tears. Scott took a deep breath and pressed harder on the gas pedal, a stone-heavy wad of guilt settling in his stomach.

It had been his idea to move from the coasts of Germany to the remote island of Woolsworth just off the Washington shore. Scott's old job as a book salesman had been steadily going down hill since he adopted Lilly…it had also been taking away from his true passion of volunteering at the local churches and Cathedrals.

Just when things were about to dive into the ground, a mysterious caller who claimed to have gotten his number from one of the churches he and Lilly volunteered at made contact via long distance. He offered Scott a job as a groundskeeper at a small-town cathedral in Woolsworth; and offer to tempting to resist.

They had uprooted almost immediately, removing Lilly from her comfort zone.

"Hey, baby," Scott pleaded, adjusting the wire-rimmed glasses on his nose bridge, "come on you're not still mad are you? I know the move was sudden, but think of the opportunities! A new house, new job, new school…new friends."

Lilly's scowl deepened, "What's wrong with my old friends?"

Scott balked, his heart sinking, "Nothing, sweetie…nothing at all. Look, we need the money, and I really think this is a good environment for you. Woolsworth is a promising tourist town with lots of activities and I'm sure you'll have no problem finding something to do."

"I had stuff to do back in Germany!" Lilly protested, her voice growing louder.

The car picked up speed as Scott pressed down harder, his eyes darting back and forth between his distressed daughter and the night road. He ran a chilled hand over his face and desperately searched for a rebuttal.

An awkward silence pressed in.

"Alright," Scott said firmly, focusing his whole attention on the passenger's seat, "this is just as hard for me as it is for you. We all knew the day would come that we'd have to leave Germany…"

"Dad," Lilly muttered, her eyes locked ahead.

"Hold on," Scott stressed, waving her interruption out of the air, "I think this job is a really good opportunity for me. It's the first time my work has tied up with the things I love…"

"Dad!" Lilly screamed, flattening herself against the seat, "Look out!"

Scott's eyes shot to the road. His stomach, which had been slowly sinking throughout the conversation, suddenly dropped like a rock. The darkened road ahead was flooded with the SUV's headlights, casting brilliant yellow light upon the dark figure standing silently in the middle of the road.

The SUV's breaks squealed as the figure opened its mouth to scream.

_Thump!_

The SUV lurched to a sudden stop, steam rolling up from its wheels at the sudden friction between rubber and road. Scott's knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel in a death hold, the blood roaring in his ears. The silver oaks towered above them, staring silently below at the smoking scene.

The night was silent.

"Lills," Scott gasped, prying his fingers away from the wheel, "stay here…"

Lilly nodded reverently, scrunching her knees up to her chest and burying her head into her jeans, quiet sobs leaked into the silence. The SUV door opened with a click and the faint ding of the vehicle's system warning that a door was open began to sound. Scott eased his way onto the road, nervously smoothing back his ruffled brown hair with shaking hands.

His wire-rimmed glasses remained on the seat where they had fallen.

The yellow headlights leaked just enough light to illuminate the area within fifteen feet. Scott rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants and carefully backtracked to the point in the road where the light ran out. A smudge of crimson blood was just barely visible in the dark.

Scott shifted to his other foot, releasing a stream of light that his body had previously been blocking. His stomach…if possible…dropped further.

He sank to one knee, his shaking hand hovering over the shapeless mass of blood and feathers that covered the road. "Dear Lord," he breathed, quickly crossing himself and turning to face the car.

"Lilly!" Scott shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth, "call nine-one-one!"

* * *

_Four Years Later---_

The grass whispered softly against the great trunks of the silver oak forest that covered the entire eastern half of Woolsworth Island. The last rays of the early summer sun sank quickly beyond the watery horizon, casting the swishing leaves in a blood-red bask.

A pale hand traced the rough bark of a nearby forest giant, soft footsteps echoing against the grass as a dark shadow slipped around the streams of sunlight. Heavy-laden boots, surprisingly silent, crushed the grass beneath them as the shadow crouched at the base of a rocky knoll.

A single silver earring flashed in the fading light as the stranger tilted his head, listening for the whispers left behind by a recent presence. Jet-black locks of hair spilled across his neck as he bent lower to the ground, tracing a pallid finger across the deep impression left in the dirt.

Electric blue eyes scanned the silent forest.

All was silent.

Sky took a deep breath and slowly got to his feet, wincing as his muscles stretched from being cramped up so long. He kicked at the ground and pushed his knee-length black coat out of the way, absentmindedly slipping the thin iron blade he'd carried under his belt as the last rays of sunlight broke away.

The trek back to Saint Aiden's Cathedral would be a long one…he probably wouldn't return until well after midnight. It had been foolish of him to come so far out into the woods. Especially since he was alone with no other means of transportation besides walking.

_Or flying._

Sky wiped the thought away, shivering as the skin beneath his feathers prickled in the heat. Father Jacob had forbid him to fly until well-passed nightfall…always in the dark where no one could see. Sky suppressed an angry sigh as he swung down from a tangle of elevated roots twisting high above the ground.

As if he were that much of a freak.

The birds that nested high in the oaks suddenly burst into flight, panicked cried screaming from their throats as loose feathers rained to the ground. Sky shallowed his breathing, dropping to a half-crouch and ducking behind the nearest trunk, the thin blade flashing silently in his grip.

He pressed his back hard against the trunk, slowly sliding around it until he could just barely see the area the birds had scattered from. He narrowed his eyes, the blade sinking slowly to his side as he took in the scene.

The area just below the birds was no different than any other place in the forest. Two giant oaks pressed up tightly against each other, some parts of their trunks molded and grown together by moss and vines. The massive roots reared up from the ground like snakes frozen in attack, green lichen clinging tightly to their backs.

Yet…amongst the green…burned a figure of white.

She was sitting on one of the roots closer to the great trees, her back hunched considerably as he legs dangled over the edge, her bare feet just inches from the ground. Her face was buried in her hands, a cascade of white hair shielding her features even farther.

Sky turned his stare up to the sky, clearing his eyes before haltingly looking back to the girl. She was still there, unbelievable as ever. Sky gritted his teeth and stepped cautiously from the cover of the oak, his knuckles white over the blade handle as he crept forward.

The girl remained in her hunched state; one of her shoulders pressed firmly against the trunk of the tree…the only support that held her up. Loose white clothes hung from her skin and bone frame, lined with light green…like a cotton outfit you'd expect to find at a hospital or an asylum.

Sky hesitated when he got within reaching distance, his blade held ready to strike as the area fell completely silent to all birdcalls. He shifted the blade to his other hand and cautiously reached toward her, the tips of his fingers just barely brushing her shoulder.

His fingers came back covered with a cold transparent liquid that shimmered dully in the half-light. It smelled faintly of antiseptics, and slid off his finger into the grass without resistance. Sky took several steps back and squinted hard at the girl.

Her body was completely covered in the fluid.

Stranger still…her back looked different…almost _too_ hunched.

"Hey!" Sky shouted, taking a few quick steps forward and shoving her shoulder hard. The girl shifted with a sound like groaning wood, her balance switching away from the trunk. She slid to the ground almost soundlessly, strings of the white liquid stretching from where she sat before to where she lay now.

Now, with her hair out of the way, it was clear to see she was out cold.

Her eyes were sunken and bruised, rings of purple lining her stark white face…a scarlet trail of blood snaked down from beneath her scalp. Her hands were stained pink with washed-out blood. A purer flash of white caught Sky's attention…

"Damn," Sky muttered, crouching next to her and lifting one of her shoulders. A snow-white wing was crushed beneath her, weakened muscles attaching the extra limbs to the spaces beneath her shoulder blades. The feathers were bent and unkempt, soaked through by the shimmering fluid.

Sky ran his finger over the metal rectangle stitched with thick black thread into her other shoulder. The off-white ooze covering her skin made the shallow impressions in the metal difficult to read. Sky wiped away as much as he could, his eyes darting back to her still face before returning to read the engraving:

_Jude Dresden _

_EXP 34A 12.4_

_West Wing_


	3. Pt 1 Stage Two: Awakening

A/N: Erm...just a short chapter with almost no dialogue. A bunch of stuff is going to be explained in the next chapter. And after that I get to have fun because all the introduction are over! Whooo! Confetti!

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Part One

Stage Two: Awakening

The wide cherry-wood doors of Saint Aiden's cathedral opened with a low groan, casting long moonlit shadows over the shimmering stained glass windows set high above the floor. The lines of pews, once polished and orderly, were scattered around the main hall of the cathedral. Broken benches pressed against the cathedral's flanks, mixed in with the remains of shattered windows.

Scott Jacob picked his way carefully across the rubble, a displeased frown tugging at his lips. The town of Woolsworth had been trying to raise enough money to repair the cathedral for years…somehow they always fell short.

Scott traced his fingers fondly over the worn tapestry depicting an emerald snake wrapped tightly around the apple in the Garden of Eden. He let his hand fall to his side and turned his attention to the front of the cathedral; where a dark shadow sat patiently on the stone alter.

With his hands deep in his pockets, Scott walked carefully to his adoptive son's side, his eyes flickering over the black wings set under his shoulders. Sky sat silently, his legs dangling over the side of the large stone tablet and his back hunched in thought. Scott leaned casually against the alter, tilting his head back to look at the windows.

"Did you have a nice hunt?"

Sky shuffled his dark wings and ducked his head farther but didn't answer.

Scott rubbed at the stubbles clinging to his chin, his frown deepening. "Sky?" he asked quietly, afraid to break the silence of the cathedral, "Is something wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

"Forgive me, Father," Sky breathed, bringing his legs up to his chest and tucking his chin against his knees, "for I have sinned. It's been a while since my last confession…"

Scott furrowed his brow and stepped away from the alter, "Don't mock me, Skyler. Just tell me what you've done."

Sky tilted his head to glance at Scott, "I've brought someone home with me."

* * *

The bright orange suncatcher danced wildly against the window, throwing colorful slashes of light across the cramped room tucked away in Saint Aiden's tower. Sunken eyes pressed together tightly as the light flickered over them, the floorboards creaking as a figure in white shifted in an attempt to ward off the glow. 

Jude took a shuddering breath and forced her eyelids to unlatch.

The Tower was a very plain room; completely circular with no furniture to boast aside from a worn ocher desk pushed against a solitary dirt-streaked window. The hard floor bit into Jude's shoulder as she struggled to roll onto her side. Several long splinters wove their way under her skin before she succeeded in pulling herself to her knees.

The room spun threateningly as Jude fought to stay upright, her head bent to focus on the floor which seemed to spin less than the walls. Cold strands of wet hair clung stubbornly to her face; silver spider's thread against her pallid skin. Every sound of the Tower echoed painfully sharp against her skull.

Jude stared absently at the floor, her muddled thoughts barely recognizing the crumpled white sheet she had been laying on. A sticky puddle of off-white fluid had pooled around her, some remnants of the liquid still clinging to her skin.

A breeze pushed passed her wings as the door opened behind her.

Scott stepped into the Tower room cautiously; his eyes narrowed on the white figure swaying on her knees a few feet away, her back turned to him. Scott gritted his teeth and eased out of the room, turning with a scowl to face Sky who was standing a few yards down the hall.

"Why did you bring her here?" he asked sharply.

Dark locks of hair fell over his eyes as he shuffled down the hall to Scott's side, absently pushing the door open to glance at the girl sitting in the room. "She was alone," he explained, "and out cold. She would've died if I left her there."

Scott sighed and rubbed his nose bridge, "Yeah, but why did you bring her _here?_ To the cathedral? Why not the hospital? They can treat her there better than I can."

Sky shook his head, "I couldn't do that."

"_Why?_" Scott stressed, his patience thinning.

Sky stared at him in disbelief, his eyes darting between Scott and the girl. "Are you _blind?_" Sky hissed, opening the door to its full extent, "Look at her, Scott. She's just like me."

Scott squinted in the darkness, his weak eyes missing the wings pressed sharply against her back in the dim light. "Impossible," he muttered, forgetting his wariness and stepping into the Tower. The girl didn't seem to notice his presence, or even feel his touch as he brushed his hand lightly over her shoulder.

Scott glanced at Sky, who shrugged.

"She just sits there…I can't get her to talk."

Scott sighed and crouched next to the girl, balancing on the balls of his feet as he brushed the strands of white hair out of her face. He examined her poorly colored face and sunken features, his eyes lingering on her lidded eyes that were focused on the floor.

"Hey," Scott whispered, moving his hand under her chin and lifting her head to his level. The girl's eyes lifted slowly from the ground to his face, widening to twice their original size as he motioned to the trail of blood on her forehead.

"Got quiet a bump there, huh?"

The girl hesitated before lifting a pale hand to her head and tapping the wound, pulling back to examine the blood on her fingertips. Her eyes widened in recognition and her brow furrowed, her lips parting slightly as if to speak. She turned her empty gaze back to Scott, letting her hand fall to her side like a dead thing.

Scott brushed the remaining hair out of her face, "Poor thing."

He quickly got to his feet and offered the girl a hand, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She stared at his hand blankly, her knees remaining locked to the floor. Scott bit his lip and tried again, "What's your name?"

No answer.

"Check her shoulder," Sky muttered, folding his arms over his chest.

Scott brushed his hand over her shoulder, his eyes darting over the silver tag stitched into her skin. "Jude Dresden?" He turned back to the girl, "Is that your name," he asked, not expecting a response, "Jude?"

She pressed her lips together, and slid her hand into his.

Scott carefully helped her to her feet, hesitating as she swayed a little before gaining her balance. "Sky, could you fill the tub?" Scott asked, gently leading Jude across the room. Sky nodded once and disappeared down the hall.

Jude stopped at the sudden movement, her grip tightening on Scott's hand. Scott tugged her softly, "It's fine," he coaxed, tugging her into motion, "everything's fine."

* * *

A hidden stare watched them leave the Tower. 

Dark eyes swept the now empty room with distaste; a shadow crouched patiently in the high branches of a tree towering just below the cathedral's highest point. Unkempt wings extended slowly in the half-light; cover with once white feathers now stained with a darker substance that appeared eerily blood-like.

A slow smile spread across inhumanly white teeth.

Everything would _not _be fine.

He would make sure of it.


	4. Pt 1 Stage Three: The Bargain

A/N: Double update just because both of the current chaptes don't have much going on and I was in the mood. After this things get good! Everyone run in circles and collectively scream! Yojne!

* * *

Part One

Stage Three: The Bargain

Steam billowed free from the old-fashion brass spout set into the bathtub's face, spiraling to the ceiling and swirling back down in a nauseating clash of heat. Jude almost stumbled back as the door opened and the sheer warmth of the steam hit her full on. Scott nudged her slightly and pushed the door open wider.

Sky sat reverently on the side of a white ivory tub with early renaissance style clawed feet. He trailed his hand through the water and pulled back sharply, his brow furrowed. "It's a bit hot," he warned, standing in the small bathroom as Scott and Jude made their way in.

"We'll wait for it to cool a bit," Scott muttered, setting Jude down on the side of the tub and turning to Sky with a grin, "Time for all boys under the respectable age of eighteen to leave."

Sky put his hands in the air in surrender and pushed his way out of the bathroom, letting the white-painted door close behind him. Now, with the steam trapped in the room, the small area became an instant sauna. Jude pulled her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes against the steam, letting its warmth wash over her.

"Let me see your head," Scott muttered, pulling a small white box out of the mirrored medicine cabinet fastened on the wall. Jude flinched as Scott's cold fingers traced the small gash just along her hairline, a frown tugging at his lips. "You'll live," Scott confirmed, snapping the white box shut, "but you'll have to take it easy for a few days." He motioned at the tub, which had ceased its endless eruption of steam, "You can get in now."

Jude eyed him hesitantly.

Scott heaved a great sigh and turned his back, securely fastening a hand over his eyes, "There, okay? I'm not looking."

Jude quickly slipped her soaking white clothes off and let them fall to the floor, her eyes straying to the only window in the bathroom. It was too dark outside to see much aside from the shadowy outline of the forest bordering the horizon. Jude bit her lip as she eased herself into the burning water, relief flooding through her aching muscles as she let herself slide beneath the scant bubbles on the surface.

Scott fished a towel out of the cramped closet next to the sink and slung it over the toilet bowl, his hand reaching for the doorknob. With a jolt Jude realized he was leaving her…

"Wait!" Jude blurted, sitting up in the tub so sudden water sloshed over the side.

Scott turned back to her, his eyebrows arched. Jude felt her face turn red as she slid back into the water, keeping her eyes focused on the tips of her toes sticking out on the other side. Scott smiled warmly and opened the door a crack to let out steam.

"I'm not leaving," he confirmed, sitting down hard on the toilet to prove it. Jude closed her eyes in relief, her skull still pounding as her thoughts swam. There was something she wanted to tell Scott…something that was important at one time…but didn't seem to matter much now.

"So you can talk?" Scott mused, crossing his legs and leaning back. Jude didn't respond but slid father down into the water. Scott shrugged, "That's okay. I understand. Strange place, strange people…it bet its pretty weird for you, huh?"

Jude didn't answer.

Scott took a deep breath and settled farther into his makeshift seat, his eyes straying to the window. "Look," he breathed, pointing, "now that the moons out you can see the town from here."

Jude tilted her head back to stare at the shadowy outline of the squat buildings pushed right up beside the forest line. She chewed at her lips nervously as her eyes focused on the darkness. There was something out there…

She shook the thought away.

"Jude?" Scott asked hesitantly, fishing out a bar of soap from the cupboard and handing it to her, "I just wanted to say…we don't know who you are…or where you're from. Whatever happened to you…it's okay to tell me, all right? I'm an assistant pastor at this cathedral so listening is kind of my thing."

He smiled sadly as Jude turned away, her lips pressed in a fine line.

"That's fine," Scott shrugged, "you can tell me when your ready."

A soft knock came at the door and it groaned open a bit farther. Sky pushed his arm through; a small white phone in his hand, "It's Lilly," his muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

Scott waved him away, "Tell her I'm busy…and don't mention Jude just yet."

The hand disappeared and the door clicked shut.

Scott smiled at Jude's confused expression, "Lilly," he explained, leaning forward on his seat, "my daughter. I couldn't have any children of my own so I adopted her when she was just a baby…from Africa. Her mother didn't want her growing up in poverty, so she handed responsibility over to me."

Scott rubbed his hand together as a distant look came to his eyes, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "We lived in Germany for a while…I was a bookseller at a small corner shop for tourists. In our spare time we volunteered at neighboring churches and cathedrals…but I felt it wasn't enough."

Jude settled farther into the water, her eyes closing as Scott spoke.

"Then," Scott grinned, "out of the blue…I got a phone call from a pastor on Woolsworth Island. He offered me a job as groundskeeper at the local cathedral, and I had no choice but to accept. It think Lilly's still a bit sour from our move. This is a small community and not many of the kids have seen skin as dark as hers…she's a bit of an outcast."

"But hey," Scott shrugged, "if I didn't believe in God's will then…I sure do now. You see, if we hadn't moved to Woolsworth we would have never met Skyler."

Jude sat up a little farther, her interest perked.

"We were driving down a road at night," Scott explained, seeing her curiosity in the subject, "and he was standing in the middle of the road…all beaten up. To make matters worse…well, we kind of ran him over."

Jude's eyes widened and her throat itched to speak.

Scott waved a hand of reassurance, "Don't worry, he was all right. I almost think we were more afraid than him. It's not every day you run over an Angel, right?"

Jude shuffled her wings behind her, letting the warm water soak into her feathers.

"We took him to the hospital," Scott continued, "and they were just as frightened as we had been. But they patched him up, let him rest, and gave him food and shelter. While he was recovering, the town gathered and discussed their options. Most wanted to turn him in, let the authorities deal with such an oddity. Others said he was a Godsend, destine to come to this island and protect us…"

Scott stopped abruptly at the last sentence, his eyes darting to Jude in a way that showed he had said too much. He coughed and leaned back, "Anyway. The bargain was that Sky would stay at the cathedral. The whole island would pitch in to buy food and all the other necessities. I became his guardian…and not a single person on the island breathed a word about his existence here."

Jude rubbed her now-wrinkled fingers over the bar of soap, watching the surface bubble up as she ran the story through her head. Scott had let on to something…he said the islanders though Sky came to protect them. Protect them from what?

"So," Scott pushed after another silence, "let's play exchange, huh? I've told you our story…will you tell me yours?"

Jude's eyes darted to the door and back to the water.

Scott followed her gaze, "Don't worry about Sky…he saved you, but still, if you don't want him to know I won't tell."

The bar of soap slipped suddenly out of Jude's hands, falling into the off-white water with a faint plop. Jude frowned and slid her head under the water, plugging her nose and keeping her neck plastered to the bottom of the tub. Her thoughts raced as she dug through her memories.

Memories?

Memories of what?

She burst out of the water so sudden that a wave of soapy liquid exploded across the floor and onto Scott's lap. He leaped to his feet in alarm, taking several steps back as Jude scrunched her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes as hard as she could.

"Scott…" she whispered, her voice wavering from lack of use. The words felt awkward and heavy on her tongue…like she hadn't spoken in years. Jude pressed her forehead against her knees, bright spots dancing behind her eyelids.

"I don't remember," she gasped, tears snaking down her cheeks.

"I don't remember anything…"


	5. Pt 1 Stage Four: A Stranger at the

A/N: I wrote this at night and I was feeling a bit emo, so don't blame me for how it turned out. I think by now I've introduced the entire cast of OC's, and next chapter you'll hear a reference to MaxRide. Enjoy! An cherish your sleep...God, I need some sleep.

* * *

Part One

Stage Four: A Stranger at the Window

Scott slid his dark tweed coat over his flannel t-shirt and turned to face Sky, a stern look in his eyes. "Now listen," Scott said slowly, hefting a black umbrella in his fist, "I'll only be gone for the night. Father Igbi and the rest of the town are going to want to know about Jude…and I think it's their right to know."

Sky shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes darting to the broken windows that leaked rainwater onto the cathedral floor. "You're leaving me alone with her?"

Scott shrugged, his hand hovering on the doorknob, "She shouldn't be that hard to take care of. I just got her calmed down and gave her some melatonin; she'll be asleep before you know it."

"And if she doesn't," Sky muttered, shifting out of Scott's way as he pulled open the door. Scott opened the umbrella with a loud bang, stepping out into the rain with a look of tested patience in his eyes. "You're still human, Sky," Scott sighed, "talk to her. Make her feel comfortable. I'll see you in the morning."

Sky watched his bobbing umbrella until it disappeared inside the worn SUV parked in the cathedral's lot. Taking a deep breath, Sky heaved the large door shut and locked it, his hands lingering on the silver keyhole before slipping the key into his pocket.

* * *

Jude tugged at the color of her shirt, frowning as she ran her fingers over the thicker parts that were still wet. Scott had dutifully washed them in the downstairs kitchen sink that was easily large enough to submerge a big dog. He gave them back to her almost sheepishly, promising that after everything was straightened out they would get her new clothes.

She wiggled her toes against the cold floorboards of the long hallway that stretched across the top floor of Saint Aiden's. The boards creaked uneasily as she walked along the hallway, passing countless entryways with swollen doors. It looked as if the cathedral would fall apart any minute.

Jude carefully made her way downstairs, shivering as her still dripping-wet hair trailed along the back of her neck like snakes. Scott had told her to make herself comfortable in the Tower…but things were too empty up there. She wanted to talk to someone. Anything to keep her mind off the past…or moreover the lack of it.

The lower floors appeared to be empty as well. Rain pounded ceremoniously on the thick tiled roof far above, echoing to the bottommost floor like a thousand fingers scratching at a closed window. Jude quickened her pace, her heart picking up speed as she passed the empty rooms.

Had they left her alone?

She turned a sharp corner, her arms held stiffly at her side as she practically ran down the wide hall. Panicked, Jude threw herself at the nearest door, her trembling fingers scrambling uselessly against the cracked knob.

A pale hand shot forward, fastening steely white fingers around her wrist and pulling back sharply. Jude sucked in a quick breath as Sky shoved her hard against the wall, his eyes darting back at the door that Jude had been trying to open.

He released her after a moments pause, pressing his back to the door.

"Never," Sky said, his voice low and scratchy, "never open this door, understand? Nobody goes in here…ever. This is _my_ door, okay?"

Jude nodded mutely, her wrist throbbing where he had twisted the skin. "I thought," she started, a prickling heat creeping up her neck, "…I thought you all left me."

Sky pushed himself off the door, folding his arms across his chest, "Get used to it," he muttered, turning his electric blue eyes away from her, "I'm going to be gone all night. You can take care of yourself."

He started down the hall at a slow walk, his broad black wings shuffling quietly in the dim light. Jude watched him for several seconds before the words sunk in. She started after him at a quick trot.

"You're leaving?"

"I always leave at night," Sky said darkly, promptly turning the corner.

"Why?" Jude sputtered, familiar panic rising in her chest.

Sky stopped and turned to face her, his brow furrowed, "Listen. As far as I'm concerned, you're going to be staying here for a while, so let me make a few things perfectly clear. I go out every night…where I go has no interest to you. Father Jacob may be the groundskeeper here, but I'm the permanent resident. I don't cook. I don't clean. I don't make pleasant conversation."

He turned away from her, his wings rising slightly from his shoulders, "Just go up to the Tower, and stay out of my way."

Jude stood still and watched him walk away mutely, his words stinging like needles beneath her ribs. She hugged her arms around herself and obediently made her way up to the Tower, risking only a single glance back at the doorway Sky had banned as off-limits.

The Tower welcomed her like an old friend. It's wide empty floor shot through with orange light from the suncatcher in the window, illuminated by the moonlight in the falling rain. Jude busied herself by carefully folding the damp sheet she had woken up in, humming the ghost of a tune under her breath.

She set the sheet on top of the ocher desk tucked in the corner, smoothing it out with her hands as she fought of the feeling of complete solitude. Her hands looked pale and alien, the faint blue veins just visible beneath the off-white surface. Jude half-closed her eyes, swaying back and forth in the dim light.

The pounding of the rain completely drowned out the sound of the opening window, the silent breath of light feet…

Jude felt her blood run cold as an icy hand ran along the back of her neck. She spun around with a sharp intake, slamming her elbow on the desk and gritting her teeth as a shot of pain lanced up her arm. It took her a moment for her brain to register what she was seeing…

A stranger, several inches taller than her with dark hazel eyes, stood just a handsbreth away. His mused hair, midnight red in the dark, brushed loosely against his cheekbones, a light smile playing over his pale lips. He was barefoot, and wore only a pair of tattered jeans and a strangely old fashion black jacket that hung open over a creased white t-shirt.

Crimson stained white wings rose widely from his shoulders.

Jude's hand flew to her mouth as her heart bucked in fear, the room spinning slightly as she screwed her eyes shut. This had to be a dream…a nightmare in which she would wake in a matter of seconds. All she had to do was opened her eyes…

He was still there.

"Forgive me," the stranger said, his voice strangely soft and quiet. He took several steps back and swept a wide bow, his ruffled hair spilling over his shoulders and he bent nearly in half. "My messengers spoke of your appearance, but not of your beauty."

Jude hesitated, unsure of how to respond to the stranger's old-fashion way of speaking. She thought back to her own face looking back at her from the mirror in the bathroom. Pale skin, frazzled white hair, watery blue eyes with dark circles beneath them, sunken cheeks, and a starved expression…

Beauty?

The stranger rightened himself and took a quick step forward, until their faces were just inches apart. "Perhaps a lily," he mused, snatching a lock of her hair in his hand and rolling it between his fingers, "or fine porcelain."

His eyes focused as he took in Jude's bewildered expression.

He bowed his head slightly, the light dancing in his eyes, "My apologizes. I find myself entranced…perhaps a bit beyond your liking, no? Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Nyx."

His cold finger brushed her jawline, "And you?"

Jude balked, temporarily forgetting her own name before stuttering: "Jude."

Nyx nodded slightly, a smile playing on his pale lips, "Definitely porcelain."

He cocked his head to its side, his eyes growing distant once more as if he were focusing on a faint noise. He laughed under his breath and suddenly pressed himself closer, his hips digging into Jude's lower stomach. Running a hand up her arm, Nyx pressed his lips to Jude's neck and muttered into her skin.

"Perhaps another time then?"

His body tore away before Jude had time to react, his wide wings flaring as he slipped lithely out the windowsill and into the rain. Leaving Jude with her back pressed rigidly into the desk, and odd chill creeping across her stomach.


	6. Pt 1 Stage Five: What Lies Beneath

A/N: Gaaa! I feel like my eyes are one fire! Anyway, not much going on though there are some hints to Woolsworth's darker side and what lies in the night. Bwuhahah! I feel so evil writing this! God...I need eyedrops. Please enjoy.

* * *

Part One

Stage Five: What Lies Beneath

Shadows flickered unsteadily through the darkened canopy. Silver oaks bent and swayed under sudden weight as slim figures in tattered clothes darted in the treetops. The moon hung high and wide in the starlit sky, drenching the landscape in wavering white light.

Sky bent over, planting his hands on his knees and taking several deep breaths. He could feel the shadows around him, pinpricks of light shining from their watchful eyes as he fought to keep control of his breath. The blade clutched in his white-knuckled fist bit into his skin, releasing a rivulet of blood onto the leaf-strewn ground below.

A slim fit figure darted suddenly from the foliage, slamming hard into Sky's back and sending him sprawling on the ground. The blade spun out of his hand as quiet laugher filled the forest.

_He's down. He's down. Weak. Vulnerable. Kill him. Kill him now…_

Sky shoved himself to his feet, dark wings exploding from his back as he threw himself into the air. The laughter spiraled away beneath him as he broke free from the canopy, sending a cascade of silver leaves flying into the air. He beat his wings hard, angling himself toward the shimmering lights of town.

The shadows followed beneath him, flicking shadily from branch to branch. Bright eyes looked up, waiting for him to drop. Clawed hands extended patiently toward the clouds. He _would _drop one day…and they knew it.

Sky soared over a long extent of iron fencing that spread far off into the distance, the only protection that separated the naked forest from the controlled town. The shadows stopped a few yards from the fence, watching him until he blinked out of sight.

Only then did they silently slither back into the darkness…

* * *

Jude's eyes flew open at the sound of creaking footsteps just outside the Tower's door. She jerked to her knees and moaned as a wave of vertigo hit her. She narrowed her eyes against the thin slits of sunlight streaming through the open blinds, her joints stiff from sleeping on the hard floor. 

Scott's face appeared in the now-open doorway, his brow cocked over his wire-rimmed glasses as he took in Jude kneeling half-awake on the floor. He shouldered his way into the room, balancing an iron tray with a steaming bowl on top in his palm. The door swung the rest of the way open without resistance, stopping with a faint pop against the far wall.

"You know," Scott said matter-o-factly, setting the tray down on the desk, "there's some empty bedrooms just down the hall…you didn't have to stay up here."

Jude struggled to her feet, her tongue thick and heavy as she fought to pull of the blanket of sleep still clinging at the edges of her mind. She rubbed the heel of her hand against her eyes, yawning widely. "Sky told me to stay up here," she muttered, shuffling her wings awkwardly, "and out of everyone's way."

Scott rubbed a thoughtful hand over the stubble on his chin, "Did he? I'll have a talk with him. It's not like him to be so bitter…I'm sure he's just anxious."

"Bout what?" Jude asked fuzzily.

Scott rubbed the bridge of his nose where his glasses left red marks in the skin, "I spoke to Father Igbi last night. He's the mayor of Woolsworth and the head pastor at Saint Aiden's as well. It was his decision to take in Sky all those years ago so I figured he might have a say on your part."

Jude glanced nervously at the thick broth in the bowl next to her hand, biting hard at her lip. "What did he say?"

Scott shrugged, pulling a metal spoon out of his pocket and handing it to Jude, "Says your welcome to stay at the cathedral until things get sorted out. He's calling a town meeting tonight at the City Hall where things will be set up permanent. A lot of people in this town think one bird-kid is enough, but hey," Scott laughed under his breath, "there's always room for more."

_One bird-kids enough._

Jude froze with a spoonful of steaming broth halfway to her lips; her heart pounding as last night's events came to the surface. Someone had come to her window in the night…who was he? The face came clear to her, but the name refused to enter her mind. She closed her eyes and thought hard.

Nyx.

The angel with the stained wings.

"By the way," Scott interrupted her thoughts, "you haven't seen Sky this morning, have you? He's usually waiting for me in the main hall but I didn't spot him today."

Jude bit back the thoughts of Nyx, forcing herself to clamp her mouth shut over the words. She made a quick promise to herself that she wouldn't breathe a word until she could sort her thoughts out. The soup scalded her throat as she quickly swallowed it down, surprised at how hungry she was.

"He said he was going out last night," Jude offered, his bitter words coming back in a hazy wave, "he wouldn't say where though. Apparently it was none of my business."

Scott grimaced and nodded slowly, muttering something about 'teenagers' under his breath. "Well," Scott sighed, suddenly sounding as if he were in a great hurry, "I hate to leave you alone again, but Sky should be back from his nightly endeavors soon and I need to pick Lilly up from her friends. Can you…I don't know, watch television for a while or something?"

Jude nodded, swallowing another burning mouthful of soup to stop her from begging him to stay. Scott smiled widely and slipped out the door, waving an awkward goodbye. Jude listened until his footsteps were gone before carefully setting the spoon down next to the bowl. Her appetite had vanished.

The cathedral was unnervingly quiet as Jude crept down the dusty stairway to the hall of doorways below. She ran a finger over the banister and wrinkled her nose as it came back layered with filth. Sky hadn't been lying when he claimed nobody cleaned around here.

Jude avoided the open spaces, preferring to stay close to the wall and pressed into the corners. She inched her way along the hall until she came to the only open door. The room behind it was small enough to be a storage space. A single blue couch took up most of the floor, along with the large television pressed against the wall to block the only window.

Jude sat down self-consciously, well aware that this place didn't feel like home.

The television flicked on at the touch of a button. Jude leaned back on the couch, letting herself relax as she flipped through the channels. There wasn't much on so early in the morning…mostly cartoons and fitness programs. She finally settled on a program featuring a frizzy red-haired lady narrating information of the unexplained mysteries of the world.

The show looked low budget, but Jude didn't care. She turned it up as loud as it would go, desperately trying to block out the silence of the broken church house. After listening to the frizzy-haired lady talk animatedly about the existence of Bigfoot for fifteen minutes, Jude reached up to turn the television off in exasperation.

However, the narrator's next words caught her attention.

"Angels," the narrator said, walking across a forest-drop background with her hands folded calmly in front of her, "the existence of such winged beings has been questioned for centuries. However, just four years ago, New York's foundations on the existence of such creatures was shaken dramatically."

The picture changed, switching to a blurry snapshot of a high-domed fancy restaurant. Several of the patrons caught in the background of the photo had their heads turned upwards with looks of fright in their eyes. Silhouetted against the domed-glass ceiling…was the shadowy resemblance of a pair of great wings.

Jude jumped as the door of the cathedral's main hall slammed shut several rooms away. She snapped the television off and vaulted over the couch, her heart thumping as her thoughts darted to Nyx. Would he come in the daylight? Or even through the front door for that matter?

Jude pulled up short as a dark form lurched its way up the stairs.

Sky's wing hung limply from his shoulders like deadweights, his arms more or less the same at his side. His long black coat leaked steam from the friction of flight and the early morning dew. Long locks of ratted hair fell over the darks rings under his eyes.

"Sky?"

He stopped halfway up the stairs, turning slowly to look down at her.

Jude fingered the banister nervously, taking in the deep purple bruise spreading across his right cheek and eye. "Are…w-what happened to you?"

Sky took a deep breath and turned away, continuing his lurching gait up the stairs. A thin trail of blood soaked into the banister where his hand trailed over the wood. His voice was quiet and scratchy. It was the voice of someone who had smoked since childhood and had fried their lungs.

"Leave me the hell alone."

Jude watched him until he disappeared into the upstairs bathroom, closing the door behind him with a muffled thump and locking it soon after. Her eyes strayed to the window where the vast expanse of forest stretched out from one side of the island to the other. Woolsworth the only oasis in the sea of trees.

What, exactly, was out there?


	7. Pt 1 Stage Six: Enter Lilly

A/N: I'M BAAAAACK!! Sorry I was MIA for a bit. I didn't really have time to update junk because I was stu-dy-ing a bunch of crap that I'll probably never use in my life-time but they insist on teaching us anyway. Some hacker changed my account saying that I left for good as well...damn them. Don't worry, I fixed it. Anyway, not much happening with this chapter until the end. To be perfectly honest those 'things' in the forest are starting to creep me out. I had a dream about them last night...gah! Shiver. ENJOY!!!!

* * *

Part One

Stage Six: Enter Lilly

Lily leaned energetically out the window, her dark hair blown back over her shoulder by the velocity of the SUV. She swung her arms in the wind; ignoring the dark looks of warning Scott was feeding her from across the seat. "I get to meet Jude!" Lilly sang loudly into the wind, laughing as they turned a sharp corner.

She slid back into her seat, her face flush from laughing. "Scott?" Lilly prodded innocently, pulling her knees up to her chest, "is Jude pretty?"

Scott mumbled something unintelligible and ran a hand over the stubbles clinging to his chin. "Is she tall…or short?" Lilly persisted, "fat…or skinny? I hope she's skinny, and pretty, and fun to talk to."

The brakes squealed as the SUV rolled to a stop at the only red-light in Woolsworth. Scott waved distractedly to an older couple on the sidewalk and turned his attention to Lilly who was still gibbering a useless spill of questions. "Lills?" Scott asked hesitantly, "You have to promise me you won't get in the way tonight, okay? Jude's still a little out of it and she hasn't been around many people before."

Lilly pouted at her feet, "You still haven't told me if she's pretty."

Scott sighed as they turned into Saint Aiden's parking lot, "Yes, okay? She's pretty…pretty much freaked out of her wits. So if you do anything to upset her…Lilly?" His words fell upon deaf ears. Lilly was already at the cathedral's door, her small fists tugging at the large doorknocker.

Scott gritted his teeth and slid out of the car.

* * *

Jude stared up at the meek sunlight falling through the painted windows of the cathedral's main hall. She traced a finger across her lips in concentration and tilted her head so the light played against the colors. The murals were beautiful. Most depicting winged beings with bright halos playing above the crown of their heads.

Jude ran a hand over the empty space above her head, a hole pitting in her gut.

She nearly choked as her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden touch, the blood rushing to her ears. Jude glanced down at the dark skinny arms laced around her waist, twisting slightly in the stranglehold to glance down at the small African child clinging tightly to her hips.

"Lilly!" Scott shouted from across the cathedral, a scowl set in his face as he marched down the hall. The girl, Lilly, looked up at Jude with big eyes, a wide grin splitting her face nearly in two. "You _are_ pretty!" she said excitedly, squeezing tighter.

Jude blinked hard as Scott pried the girl away, not quiet sure what to say as he squatted down to her level to scold her. "Um…" Jude interrupted, wringing her hands together nervously, "you must be…Lilly?"

Lilly's face lit up and she tugged at Scott's sleeve, "She know me!"

"Sky came home," Jude blurted, her eyes darting to the ceiling, "I think you should go check on him…he was bleeding when he came back. He wouldn't talk to me."

Scott's face paled slightly as he stood up, straightening his coat out professionally. "Lilly, stay here. And don't cause any trouble. I'll be right back," he ordered in a firm voice. Lilly pressed her lips together and sat down hard on one of the broken pews a few steps away.

Jude watched Scott disappear up the stairs, a cold breeze from the shattered windows worming its way under her feathers and into her skin. Lilly cleared her throat and patted the empty space next to her, "Sit down?"

Jude nodded and sat down, flinching slightly as Lilly spun around and starting running her fingers through Jude hair. "Daddy says you don't remember where you're from," Lilly said bluntly, winding several strands of Jude's hair into a loose braid. Jude nodded mutely, her hands clenching into fists against her knees.

"That's okay," Lilly chattered, "Angel's aren't supposed to remember Heaven."

Jude looked up at her in surprise, "They aren't?"

Lilly shook her head, happy to have an engaged audience, "Nope. If they did, then they might tell everybody on Earth…and that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"

Jude glanced up at the heavenly figures on the painted windows, their hands folded reverently in front of them as they prayed to their Lord. "Is that what I am, then?" Jude asked, relaxing at Lilly's touch, "Me and Skyler are Angels?"

Lilly shrugged, "That's what Father Igbi says. He's the head priest, and the mayor, too! Everyone likes him and listens to what he says. He's the one that built the wall around the town…"

"A wall?" Jude interrupted, "Why do you need a wall?"

Lilly looked at her, clearly surprised, "Well…to keep out the Demons, of course!"

"Lilly!"

Lilly looked up sharply to where Scott was standing with his hands on his hips in the doorway. He gave her an emphasized look of warning and Lilly fell silent, her hands retracting from Jude's hair and returning to her lap. "We're just talking," Lilly insisted, "honest."

"I think you better wait in the car," Scott muttered.

"But…"

"Now."

Lilly pouted but obeyed, swinging her pink sneakers over the bench and shuffling dejectedly down the hall. Scott waiting until she was well out of ear-shot before coming to sit next to Jude. He smiled at her faintly, patting her shoulder like a concerned parent. "You okay?"

Jude nodded, keeping Lilly's words to herself. Scott folded his arms and tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling, "Sky's going to be fine…so there's no need to worry about that. He's prone to accident. Probably fell into a tree or something."

Jude nodded mutely, easily picking up on the lie.

"Listen," Scott continued, "later tonight I invited someone to come and meet you. I've told you about Father Igbi? He's in charge of pretty much everything around here and he's going to sort some things out. He wants to meet you…but only if you're comfortable with it. I would never make you do something you didn't want to."

"Yes," Jude said after a slight hesitation, "I'd like to meet him."

* * *

Jude pressed the soft pillow tightly against her chest, curling up on the air mattress Scott had brought from his house for her to sleep on. The Tower was quiet in the fading light. The orange suncatcher throwing ghostly shadows over the walls. Jude closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing.

Scott said she could have a few moments to herself before Father Igbi came. He made it sound like the meeting was extremely important…and that worried Jude. Just what kind of person was Father Igbi? Scott spoke of him like he was a parent to the town, always watching over his people and keeping them safe.

Jude buried her face into the pillow.

She wanted to be safe…more than anything she wanted _that_.

The door creaked open and Scott peered inside, his wire-rimmed glasses sliding off his nose. He smiled and opened the door all the way, letting it bang softly against the wall. "Father Igbi's here…are you ready?"

Jude nodded and pulled herself to her feet.

A ring of white feathers marking where she had sat moments before.

* * *

A shadow moved swiftly across the darkening sky. Powerful wings pounding against the stars and the wind, rising higher above the small island and farther from the glowing lights of Woolsworth. The wall fell far behind, shrinking to a thin line as the sky opened up, welcoming the shadow like an old friend.

Nyx banked sharply, shivering as the smell of the ocean hit him full on. He dropped low, the trees rushing up to meet him at an alarming rate. Evening out easily, Nyx let his eyes wander over the treetops, wondering how many of his 'Demons' lay in wait beneath the foliage.

The trees opened up suddenly to reveal a large flat field with an overgrown lawn and a rusted iron-bar fence. In the center of the clearing was a neglected cement building, its foundations sinking into the ground as its own weight pushed the stones into the earth. Part of the roof had collapsed in one area, leaving open a large tunnel like the throat of some hungry animal.

Nyx leveled out and flared his wings, landing with his knees bent next to the collapsed wall of the building. He glanced over his shoulder at the dark trees surrounding the abandoned Itex lab, his sharp ears picking up the sounds that reverberated from within the dark…

Low hissing and high-pitched laughter…the sound of blood gurgling in dead throats. Blood-shot eyes scanning the heavens feverishly for the prey that wasn't there.

"Shut up," Nyx growled, his hands clenching at his side.

The giggling from the trees pressed in, pinpricks of light radiated from eyes that never blinked dotted the shadows. Several flashes of slim figures…starved figures…torn clothes running fixatedly into the night.

"Shut up!"

Nyx's scream echoed through the trees.

The laughter fell silent.


	8. Pt 1 Stage Seven: Father Igbi

A/N: Er...I know it seems that at this point the same thing is happening over and over again, but I promise it will break out and start doing exciting things in the...uh...next next chapter. Yeah! Then things will be FUN! explodes from all the fun-ness

* * *

Part One

Stage Seven: Father Igbi

Jude pressed herself against the doorframe and peeked into the cathedral's main hall, a fist tightening in her stomach. Father Igbi was sitting on one of the broken pews, his long body hunched over his knees with his back turned to her. From where she stood, Jude could see the Igbi was old. His hands, folded on his knees, were wrinkled and peppered with age spots; his thinning hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail that dangled well beyond his back, snowy white against his black priest robe.

Swallowing hard, Jude took a hesitant step backward, the joint bone of her wings clicking against the banister of the stairs. Igbi's head rose from its bent position, turning slightly to acknowledge her presence. "You may come in if you wish, child."

His voice was deep, but kindly, carved with countless years and endless wisdom. He turned to her with a light smile playing over the laugh-lines on his face, tiny crows-feet wrinkling up near his sunken eyes. He leaned back against the pew, motioning for her to enter with a worn hand. "Come sit with me…we have much to speak of."

Jude shuffled across the main hall, her bare feet picking up several splinters from the shattered benches. She sat nervously at the edge of the pew, trying her best not to lean away from the gangly priest that towered well over her head. Father Igbi's eyes scrutinized the wings rising from her shoulders, a joyful spark lighting in his pale blue eyes.

"We were beginning to think Skyler was the only one," he mused, rubbing a hand over his chin the way Scott often did when he was thinking. His breath smelled like peppermints. Jude shifted, confused as to whether the spoken words were a questions or a simple comment. What was she supposed to say?

"You don't talk much, do you?" Igbi said softly.

Jude hesitated, "I have nothing to say."

Father Igbi laughed, a light feathery laugh that couldn't be heard unless you listened very closely. "That's fine. That's fine. Scott has told me a lot about you. Skyler found you in the forest, right? On the other side of the island?"

A stretch of moonlight crept through the gathering clouds, illuminating one of the painted windows with an array of glimmering sparkles. Jude felt herself relaxing, the fists on her knees loosening and the muscles in her shoulders becoming less tense. "I…don't know. All I remember is waking up in the Tower…three days ago? I've lost track of time. It seems like its always night here…"

Father Igbi's eyes searched her face, his fingers tapping against his knee. "Nothing before that? Nothing at all? I want you to think really hard, Jude. This could be very important."

Jude squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing a knuckle against her forehead as she hunched her back to think. There was the Tower, empty and strange. The sticky wetness clinging to her feathers and her hair. The orange suncatcher, the pale moon, the green forest…and white. A lot of white. Brilliant white light dancing, swirling, twisting, never stopping. All around her…

The sound of a closing door stirred her from her thoughts. Jude lifted her head in time to spot Sky's dark form slipping between the pews on the others side of the hall. He paused at the double doors set into the main entrance of the cathedral, sliding the long black coat he'd worn the night before over his shoulders.

"Your late," Father Igbi said, "isn't there somewhere you need to be?"

Sky hesitated, his fingers hovering over the silver handles of the door. "I slept in," he murmured, his voice so low Jude had to strain to catch it. Igbi's hand clenched into a loose fist on the back of the pew, his eyes darkening as Sky opened the door. "Don't let it happened again, Skyler. The town depends on it."

"Yes, sir," Sky muttered, his dark wings spreading in the night as he disappeared.

Jude watched the door close slowly, pushed by the breeze that slithered through the cracked windows. She bit her lip and rested her chin against her palm. Sky was bleeding when he came back that morning. It probably wasn't such a good idea for him to go out again…

"So, Jude," Igbi pressed, "is there anything else?"

Jude stared at him blankly for a few seconds before realizing he'd asked her a direct question. "Um…no. Nothing…sorry." She pulled her knees up to her chest, her eyes flicking back to the closed doorway before settling on the floor. Father Igbi turned away from her, his expression falling into the shadows for a moment before turning back to face her. His smile was light. His eyes were caring…just like before.

"Why don't you think about it, okay? I want you to stay at the cathedral for a few days. Rest up; regain your strength…then we'll talk again. Scott will take care of you and once you feel strong again…we'll speak of more pressing matters. Sound good?"

Jude nodded, the fist in her stomach loosening. She had been afraid that Father Igbi would send her away, taking her from Scott and Lilly…everything she'd grown used to in the three days she'd been there. The Tower was hers now. Igbi was going to let her stay.

"Thank you," Jude smiled, hugging her knees tighter.

Igbi smiled his soft papery smile and got to his feet, sweeping down the hall and out the front door before Jude had time to say goodbye. She watched the door for a few minutes, hoping someone might come back. Scott and Lilly had left just after Igbi had arrived…now she was alone again.

Jude fingered the frayed edges of the bottom of her pants, rolling a sudden though over in her mind. Was she really alone? Or had _he_…come back?

It took her only a moment to get climb to the Tower, moving as quickly as she could without running. The shadows in the corners made her nervous…she needed someone to talk to. Someone to be next to her. She needed to feel safe…

The door opened willingly to her touch, clicking softly against the far wall as it drifted open. The Tower was empty. Not even the suncatcher could fill the room with orange slashes in the dark. Jude mentally scolded herself for feeling so disappointed. She'd only met Nyx once. It's not like she was expecting him to come back…

"Rather empty, isn't it?"

Nyx was behind her, his slender body draped against the doorframe, a smile playing on his lips. Jude lurched forward, stifling the scream building up in her throat at the last second. She spun around to face him, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"How did you get in here?" she huffed.

Nyx shrugged, "The front door was open. Did I frighten you?"

Jude sat down hard at the edge of the bench pressed up against the desk, fastening her palm over her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to wash the adrenaline from her veins. "You just…surprised me."

He hooked a pale finger under her chin, tilting her head back until their eyes met. "I would have come sooner…but there were too many people. I don't think I've ever seen so many people in Saint Aiden's in all my life. You must have caused quiet a stir with the locals, huh?"

Jude pushed his hand away, getting to her feet and stepping back until the distance between them felt comfortable. "I was talking to Father Igbi," she said warily, not used to having one-on-one conversations, "…he's the head priest."

Nyx snorted, running a hand through his hair, "That bastard? Forgive my language but I'm afraid my relationship with that godforsaken excuse of a man is a tad rough. What about the others…there were more people here, I could sense them."

Jude glanced at the window, her thoughts drifting to the bloodstained banister stretching toward the upper floors of the cathedral. "Scott and Lilly…they left when Father Igbi came…and Skyler. He was here too."

A sharp bark of laughter erupted from Nyx's throat; his grin grew wider, stretching over all his teeth as he opened and closed his wings rapidly in the small space. "The bastard's puppet? I thought he'd be dead by now. I trust he'll meet and Angel with blacker wings than himself one day."

Jude paused, her stomach lurching as she took several small steps back, "What do you mean…?"

Nyx was suddenly beside her, his cool hands running down her neck as he bent low to whisper in her ear. "Perhaps the company here does not please you? This damned cathedral practically leaks with hidden secrets…can you taste them? They're all around you. You deserve better companions than the filth that lives here."

Jude shivered, wanting to push away, but he held her tighter. 

"Do me a favor…" Nyx whispered, his voice barely above a breath, "ask little Skyler about his Demons…and I'll come back for you. Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven, right? Goodbye, Dresden."

And just like that…he was gone.


	9. Pt 1 Stage Eight: By Gone

A/N: Awww...I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Saint Paddies Day...ah well. Happy belated Saint Patrick's Day! Kiss my Irish butt! Just kidding...i'm not really Irish. Anyway, new chapter! Whooo...hooo..oo. Enjoy it.

* * *

Part One

Stage Eight: By Gone

Sky landed hard on the tattered stretch of grass around the back of Saint Aiden's, the slowly rising sun warming his aching shoulders. A flock of morning doves burst from the overhanging of trees on the far side of the lawn, spiraling away into the dawn horizon in a chorus of spiraling feathers. The bright sun showed no sign of the horrors that lay awaiting the fall of night.

Grudgingly, Sky rolled his aching shoulder and stumbled to the kitchen doorway. Usually he took the front door, but today he didn't want to run into any unexpected company. More specifically Father Igbi. There was no telling how long the head priest would hang around after last night.

The door opened with a faint whine, spilling a brief ray of sunlight across the kitchen floor until the door slammed shut behind him. Sky paused, his brow furrowing as he dropped the heavy hunting knife tied around his belt onto the dirty marble counter. The kitchen was not empty.

Jude turned to face him from where she stood next to the lit stove, a dripping wooden spoon held lightly between her fingers. A small steel pot perched fittingly on the boiler by her elbow, a steaming yellow liquid boiling around the edges. 

"I made soup," Jude offered after a long silence, "I thought you'd be hungry…"

Sky shifted, the rings under his eyes growing darker as he titled his head into the shadows, "Where'd you get the ingredients?"

Jude bit her lip and pointed at the stained open cupboard on the far side of the kitchen, "There were cans…I just heated them up. Do you want some?"

Slowly, Sky picked up the empty can sitting in a cold puddle on the counter, turning it over in his palm and reading the labels. "This stuff is months passed the expiration date," he muttered, setting the can back down, "I don't think you should eat it."

Jude frowned at the boiling soup, "Oh…"

He tilted his head toward the refrigerator stuffed in the corner, the iron earring in his lobe flashing, "There's leftover takeout in the fridge…I'll just heat some of that up."

"Wait!" Jude protested, turning the stove off and dropping the spoon, "Let me do it, okay? You're tired…you should get some rest." Sky hesitated, his expression guarded as he ran a fingertip over the edge of the blade rocking on the counter. After a moment of silence, he nodded and made his way to the doorway.

"I'll…just go clean up."

Jude nodded, opening the refrigerator with a hard jerk; "It'll be ready when you get back." 

The refrigerator was packed with Styrofoam cases, some of them shoved in sideways in order to fit. Several were leaking a mixture of soy sauce and ketchup onto the bottom rack of the fridge. Jude wrinkled her nose and pulled out the first case she touched. The word 'Chinese' was scratched into the surface of the top.

A few minutes later she was crouched in front of the microwave hanging haphazardly off the edge of the counter. The plate inside spun around and around making her dizzy and a little sick. But she couldn't look away…she didn't want to burn it.

The microwave fizzed to a stop and Jude sprang to her feet, opening the silverware drawer with one hand and popping open the microwave latch with the other. She spun a silver fork in her fingers, humming to herself as she stooped to retrieve the plate. 

The fork spiraled from her fingers, flipping through the air and catching the edge of the counter with a metallic clack. Jude sucked in a sharp breath and waited for the loud snapping of silver hitting linoleum floor. 

A pale hand snatched the fork by the handle.

Jude let out the breath she'd sucked in and stared sheepishly up at Sky who had entered the kitchen just as she'd dropped the fork. His hair was wet, clinging to his neck and face as he politely offered her the fork, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Balance isn't one of your finer points…is it?"

Jude fought the hot blush creeping up her neck, "Foods in the microwave," she muttered, stooping her head and trying to shuffle quickly out of the room.

"Hey, Dresden!"

Jude lurched to a halt but didn't turn, "Yeah?"

Sky flipped the fork in his fingers expertly, "Thanks."

* * *

The sun was hanging high in the scant cloud-cover by the time Jude was certain Skyler was asleep. She pressed her ear to the heavy wooden door he had disappeared into after he'd eaten and listened intently. Not a sound could be heard from behind the polished oak; only the shuffle of her own wings as she stood and tiptoed away.

The long black coat was still hanging where Skyler had left it, slumping dejectedly from a peg nailed into the wall. Jude bit hard at her lip until she tasted blood and slipped the coat over her shoulders. The bruise across Sky's face had grown green at the edges…a sign that it was healing well. But a faint gnawing still remained in Jude's stomach and she had noticed the new cuts around his neck from his night out.

Whatever was out there…she'd have to find it herself.

The ground squelched sourly beneath her bare feet and, for a moment, Jude pondered whether she should turn back for shoes. The sun was sinking now, and the horizon was covered with storm clouds…not uncommon for the coats of Washington. Jude pulled Sky's coat tightly around her shoulders and started walking.

If she turned back now, she might never dare go out again.

The cathedral's back lawn melted almost immediately into a thick covering of silver oak trees. Jude could hear the faint hustle of the town to her left, and the crowing of the ocean to her right. She stuck steadfast to a faded trail weaving its way through the underbrush; the spiraling towers of Saint Aiden's soon vanishing in the distance.

The farther she pressed on, the darker the forest became. The oaks grew larger, their trunks stretching wide and tall against a thick carpet of wet moss. Everything was shockingly green…even the sky was blotted out by the thick emerald canopy. The natural buzz of forest activity fluttered around, birds and insects settled high in the braches as they watched the girl of white stumble through the foliage.

Almost without warning, the forest dropped away into a well-trimmed line. Sunlight exploded across the stark blue sky, purple storm clouds glowering from well beyond the horizon. The trees had fallen short, and towering in their place…was an iron-bar wall that shot straight from the ground and fanned off out of sight in either direction.

Jude hung back by the trees, her palm resting lightly against one of the mossy trunks. The fence looked rotted in several places. Iron bars crumbling away from the main structure like the decaying ribcage of a long dead animal. Bits and pieces of the iron could be seen half-buried by moss near the foot of the wall.

"Hello?" Jude called, the stench of iron making her nose burn.

Her echo was all that responded. The forest was quieter here…only faint chirping and minimal activity could be picked out among the silence. The sky darkened noticeably as one of the storm clouds drifted aside, blocking out the comforting rays with a desolate shadow. 

"Hello!"

Jude turned, ready to leave and try a different trail…when a voice fluttered back in response. Jude snapped her head around and took a few stumbling steps toward the wall, leaving the cover of the trees behind her. "Is there somebody out there?"

"I'm here."

Jude lurched forward, her hands slapping against the fence as she slipped and struggled for purchase. Standing several yards from the fence…silently…lingered a little girl in a tattered white nightgown. Jude tightened her grip on the fence, pressing her face against the bars, "Hello…"

The girl smiled, her cheeks sunken and pale in the fading light. She lifted a skeletal hand and waved, brushing a lock of light red hair away from her face.

Jude shifted her hand through the bars, reaching out to her, "Come here…"

The girl's smile turned sad and she shook her head, "I can't." Her voice was paper-thin and held a strange waver to it. When she spoke…it was almost as if the words didn't match her lips. She skipped back a few paces, "Come here," she mimicked, holding out her thin arms, "please come play!"

"I…" Jude hesitated, glancing back over her shoulder to where the shadowed outline of the cathedral shimmered in the distance. Her thoughts flickered to the cuts criss-crossing Sky's neck and she grimaced. The little girl clearly didn't know that something dangerous was in the forest. She could easily get hurt…

"Wait!" Jude panted, pressing hard against the wide bars and squeezing her way through. Sky's coat tore on the sharp edges, but Jude didn't care. The girl was still skipping away, getting farther and farther by the moment. Her words fluttered back as if carried by the wind.

"Hurry up! Play with me…"


	10. Pt 1 Stage Nine: Reality

A/N: this chapter freaked me out...I won't lie. But hey, nesessities of life, yes? Part One is coming to an end soon...about...five more chapters I think? Then we get on with Max and a great deal of action and plot twists. ENJOY!

* * *

Part One

Stage Nine: Reality

Scott opened the door of Saint Aiden's and slipped inside, shaking rainwater from his slightly curling hair. The clouds had been looming all morning, but nobody actually thought they would break. Scott shrugged out of his coat and hung it on the rack, setting the thoroughly soaked umbrella beside it. 

Mother Nature was full of surprises.

Scott paused in the main hall, his brow furrowing as he scanned the empty pews. Sky was usually up by this time…but lately he'd been sleeping in. A habit he would have to break if he wanted to stay on Father Igbi's good side. Not thinking much of the empty hall, Scott shuffled toward the staircase.

"Jude?"

His voice echoed back hollowly as the cathedral moaned under the cloudburst, its ancient roof warping in the downfall. Scott frowned at the ceiling as he made his way up the stairs. They really had to pull up some money for repairs…it was starting to get out of hand.

"Jude!" Scott repeated, louder this time as he made his way down the hall to the Tower, "I talked with Father Igbi toady…it's great that you're staying! But I think we need to run into town and buy you some new clothes. What do you think?"

He opened the door of the Tower, flinching as it characteristically slammed into the far wall. The Tower was empty. Scott tugged at his chin. He hadn't heard the television when he came in…maybe she was in the kitchen?

On his way to investigate, Scott knocked softly on Sky's door as he slid passed, "Skyler! Time to wake up, you'll need to leave in a few hours." A depleted moan answered from behind the door, soon followed by the thump of someone landing hard on their feet as they rolled out of bed.

Scott smiled wirily to himself and continued to the kitchen, "Jude…"

It was empty.

Leaning against the wall, Scott furrowed his brow and scrubbed the heel of his hand against his eye…thinking. Where else could she be? Surely she hadn't left the cathedral…she was still too fresh for that. Maybe Father Igbi had taken the liberty to stop by and take her out for a new wardrobe himself.

Highly unlikely.

Sky stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later, combing back the unruly locks of hair from his face with his fingers. Several feathers floated to the floor as he shook himself, extending his wings to their full length in the small space to work out the knots.

"Morning Sky," Scott grunted, pushing a feathery limb from his face, "have you seen Jude lately? She's not in the Tower."

Sky collapsed onto one of the bar stools pushed up against the island in the middle of the kitchen, running his hands over his face, "She's probably showering…or something. Did you call her?"

Scott snorted, fishing a Styrofoam box out of the refrigerator and plopping it in the microwave for Skyler. "I called. No answer. Did Father Igbi stop by?" Sky shook his head mutely, his eyes skipping over to the kitchen door where his coat usually hung on the peg.

It was empty…

"You sure she's not here?" Sky asked distractedly.

Scott nodded, pulling the container from the microwave, "No sign."

Sky's hands tightened into white-knuckled fists against his knees, suddenly seeming very awake as he burned a hole in the counter with his stare. Jude had seemed restless that morning. Antsy somehow…like something was bugging her. She's left in such a hurry. Now his coat was missing.

Realization dawned in an instant. A single word formed on Sky's lip…

"Shit."

* * *

Jude sucked in a sharp breath and bent to pick the razored thorn from her foot, tears gathering in her eyes as she examined her punctured feet. It felt like she'd been stumbling through the darkening forest for hours…though it had really only been a little over fifteen minutes. The outline of the iron wall was still visible behind her.

Just to make matters worse, it had started to rain a few moments after she'd breeched the wall. The little girl she had followed into the forest was nowhere to be seen…disappeared like a ghost.

"Hello?" Jude called, exhausted as she tugged the coat tighter around her shoulders. There was, predictably, no response from the empty forest. All signs of life had ceased. All sounds falling miserably silent as the downpour continued. Though Jude had reason to suspect the lack of activity wasn't from the rain…

"Your lost."

Jude spun around, slipping in the mud and falling to her knees a few yards from the little girl she had met by the fence. The girl's face was streaked with mud now, her nightgown soaked through as she stared down at Jude with empty gray eyes. Her skeletal arms hung limply at her side…dead things in the dead forest.

"You…" the girl hesitated, biting her already bloody lip as tears gathered in her eyes, "…you won't play with me?"

Jude gritted her teeth, struggling to stand in the mudslick, "Listen. Please. This forest is dangerous…I don't think you should be here. Why don't you go back to the town? Look! It's raining! Everything's wet. We can't play in this."

The tiny girl's hands curled into fists, her brows slanting downward in an acid glare, "Don't. Tell me. What. To do." She punched out each word as if it were a physical blow, carefully stepping forward in the downpour, her bare feet easily gaining purchase in the impossible mud.

"Please," Jude begged, shakily getting to her feet, "go home."

She stopped her advancement, tilting her head as the innocent sweetness returned to her face. "There's…something dangerous in the forest?" she asked, her eyes widening with fear. A ragged sob broke from her chest as she clutched her heaving sides; tears rolling freely down her cheeks.

Jude pulled her against her stomach, squeezing her skinny shoulders as she attempted to calm the wailing child. The girl wrapped her arms around Jude's waist, squeezing with a force that almost left Jude winded. There was no way such a tiny girl could be so strong. Not in the half-starved state she supported. There was no way…

The girl's nails dug into Jude's back, dragging hard across her skin as her wail turned into a shriek. Jude loosened her grip on the girl's shoulders, flinching in pain as the girl retraced her scratches over and over again, red welts building up around her waist.

"Stop it!" Jude burst, shoving the girl away hard.

She clung tight, her arms moving frantically as she clawed at Jude's back, the shrieks making her throat gurgle unnaturally. Jude shoved her harder, sending the smaller body spiraling into the mud. Taking several steps back, Jude placed her hands out in front of her like a shield as the girl picked herself up.

A trickle of blood was leaking from the corner of the mouth.

"Please!" she shrieked, lunging forward with her raw fingers extended, "Please don't leave me! The monster will get me if you leave! Stay!"

Jude prepared herself for impact, taken completely by surprise at the force in which the little girl pounded into her. Both of them collapsed against the roots that spiderwebbed across the ground, the little girl sealing herself firmly on top by wrapping her spindly legs around Jude's waist. 

Her nails dug hard into Jude's face, drawing blood as the child hammered her skin. There was no way such a small person could hold this much strength! Jude wrapped her arms around her face, her arms taking in most of the attack as the girl's screams rose into a high pitched wail.

The trees around them rustled in the rain, twigs snapping under running feet, sleek shadows flitting back and forth in the foliage. Jude closed her eyes hard, wincing as the little girl caught her wrist and bit hard into the meaty area below her thumb. The teeth penetrating her skin felt unnaturally pointed. Sharpened somehow.

"Stop it!" Jude screamed, her voice drowned out by the rain.

And, as if on cue, the blows stopped.

Jude opened her eyes with a sob of relief that was cut short as Skyler grabbed her extended wrist and pulled her roughly to her feet. His dark wings were steaming in the rain, the flesh burning from the friction of a fast flight. His face was drawn and serious, one hand wrapped painfully tight around Jude's wrist, the other wielding a thick-bladed hunting knife already stained with blood.

Jude just had enough time to take in the form of the little girl whom she'd followed into the forest before Sky tugged her into a run. She was sprawled across a large root protruding from the ground, her wailing silenced by a long slit across her face. The cut dragged mercilessly across her eye, staining the puddles around her a dull pink.

Once seconds she was there, the next she was gone.

And then they were running…


	11. Pt 1 Stage Ten: Secrets

A/N: Well...I think, right now the whole Demon/Angel thing is starting to confuse people. Answer start spilling over the next few chapters though I'm fairly certain that what you guys are thinking is nowhere near what's really going on. Squeee! I love making people skwirm with my writing. It makes me happy to get a reaction out of you guys! ENJOY!

* * *

Part One

Stage Ten: Secrets

The rain fell almost silently. Pattering against the leaves of the forest like the gentle touch of a mother putting her child to sleep. The ferns stooped under the pressure of droplets clinging to their edges, desperate to avoid the ground that would mercilessly suck them apart.

A shadowy pair slipped passed, leaving the ferns and undisturbed.

Black and white…like a Polaroid picture.

Jude couldn't feel the tight grip Sky had on her hand. The cold of the rain had numbed her fingers and her ear tips, her legs and her feet. She knew she should be crying, screaming…something. There was pain there…hidden beneath the numbness. But her lips remained sealed as she struggled to keep up with Skyler's breakneck pace.

A figure fell into line beside them, arms pumping at its side. Sky grunted and swerved away, dragging Jude after him. The long grasses bending at the base of the silver oaks trembled slightly as more shadowed forms emerged from the trees. They ran in absolute silence, their heads tilted and locked on their prey, paying no attention to where they were running.

Sky stopped abruptly, his eyes snapping from one side of their stopping point to the other. The shadows had ceased running, their bodies posed in half-crouches as they formed a rough circle against the oaks, choked throats rasping to catch the breath their lungs screamed for.

"We can't outrun them," Sky breathed.

Jude clung tighter to his arm, her eyes focused on her bleeding feet. She would _not_ look at them. She knew that if she saw them, what they really were…everything would fall apart. Sky tugged on her sleeve, his eyes still fixed on the foliage.

"We'll have to fly out of here…ready?"

Jude shook her head mutely.

The branches to her left snapped suddenly. A teenage boy, no older than sixteen, exploded from the emerald growth. His dirt-streaked shirt hung in orange ribbons around his starved frame, the hunger in his eyes burning as he stretched out his arms and sprang forward.

Sky yanked Jude to his side, raising his hunting knife to the rain-split clouds and cutting downward in a single slash. The boy stumbled back, howling miserably as he hugged his bleeding arm against his chest. At the sound of their brother's scream, the forest suddenly came alive with flashing figures…

"Fly!" Skyler barked, shoving Jude hard as the full force of what lay waiting in the foliage fell upon them. Jude hit the ground hard, tearing the edge of Sky's coat on a protruding rock before slowly raising her eyes to take in their attackers.

They were people.

Just…people.

Instinct drove the wings from Jude's back, propelling her out of their reach and into the embrace of the clouds. A ragged sob scraped against her ribs as she pounded her wings against the falling sky, unable to tear her eyes away from the spiraling forest filled with…people. Just people.

"Go to the church," Skyler ordered in her ear, his own wings suddenly beating in rhythm beside her. Jude blinked in surprise and looked up at him, getting a face full of rain in the process. She hadn't even seen him take off…

Angling her wings slightly, Jude rode the warm updraft pouring from the treetops, her legs dangling uselessly below her. In seconds she had covered more ground than the fifteen minutes it took her to march through the forest. Ragged breaths flapped against her chest. Her shoulders screamed. Screamed for her to drop…just drop.

The oaks were drawing closer, her frayed feet skimming the tops as she slowly dropped. She didn't have the strength to lift herself. It was only then that it dawned on her…she'd never flown before in her entire life. Her underused muscles were weakening quickly under the new strain.

"Dresden!"

Jude looked up, raising a bloody hand to shield the rain from her eyes. Sky was circling a good fifty yards above her, his dark hair creating a black halo around his face as he stared down at her. The hunting knife still hung loosely in his fingers.

"Pull up!" he shouted, "Get away from the trees!"

Jude whimpered, a sudden disgust welling up in her throat. She was disgusted…with herself. How could she be so weak? The perfect damsel in the comic-staged story that was her life. Why couldn't she be stronger?

The air bent reverently to her will as Jude pushed herself away from the trees. In minutes she had leveled herself with Sky, a determined grimace stuck on her lip. One second, everything was trees. The next second, the iron fence was below them, stretching out to the coasts of the island. And the next…it was gone.

And the people disappeared with it…

* * *

Scott paced the floor of the kitchen angrily, his hands curled into tight fists at his side. It was his fault Jude had run off, and he knew it. She was a new person in a strange world…he should have spent more time with her in the beginning. He should have talked to her. Befriended her. Made her feel at home.

But now she was gone.

"No," Scott muttered to himself, sucking hard on his knuckle as he continued his pacing. Not gone. Not dead. Not yet. Sky had gone to look for her. He knew the forest better than anyone on the island. He knew how to deal with what was in there. He would find her.

He would.

The door burst open in a gust of wind, sending a shower of rainwater cascading across the dirt-streaked linoleum floor. Scott was at the door before he even realized he'd taken a step, his hand on Sky's elbow to keep him from tripping on the doormat. Somehow Jude managed to trip over it anyway, her hands slapping wetly against the floor as she fought to break her fall.

Sky shut the door, his breath coming heavy in the almost too silent kitchen.

Jude stayed on her knees, pressing her forehead against the linoleum and squeezing her eyes shut until bright spots crowded her vision. Her wings trembled as the muscles she'd fought to keep tight through their entire escape loosened and unwound. The bite mark from the little girl on her palm left a trail of pink-tinted blood as she dragged it under her body, her soaking hair creating a white puddle around her face.

Scott crouched, taking a deep breath and rubbing his hand over Jude's back. He glanced up at Sky who was leaning against the door, his head tilted to the ceiling as he fought to catch his own breath.

"She saw?" Scott whispered.

Sky nodded, his hand trembling as he put the hunting knife on the counter.

"None of them got through the fence, did they?"

This time Sky didn't answer. He sunk to the floor with his back pressed firmly against the wall; his soaking wings streaming rainwater on the floor. Scott bit his lip and bent closer to Jude. "Jude," he whispered, brushing the strands of hair away from her ear to she could hear him, "are you okay? Did they hurt you at all?"

Jude raised her head slightly from the floor, her eyes swimming as she fought to keep Scott's face in focus. "They…" she stumbled, her voice catching in her throat. A violent sickness suddenly swept across her chest, clutching hard around her throat in a death grip. She just had time to retch all over the floor before unconsciousness took hold.

* * *

The little girl touched at the long searing wound across her face. Her skeletal fingers playing across the blood as she crouched on top of a high knoll that held no trees. A moan passed her pale lips as she curled her back and sank her head into her hands.

The iron burned.

She curled her fingers into her hair, sealing out the noises of the forest as she pressed her palms over her hands. The fire crawled in her veins, making her twitch and writhe…she had to move.

The grass bent as she sprang to her feet, sprinting lithely through the oaks. The burning in her blood weakened. She fell in line with her brothers and sisters; their starved forms bent almost in half as they flashed through the oaks

Somewhere above them a Demon passed, his stained wings spread wide.

A smile played on the little girl's lips as she pumped her arms faster.

The Angels couldn't fly forever…


	12. Pt 1 Stage Eleven: History of Woolsworth

A/N: Long chapter. Mostly explanations. But once it's over I can move on to bigger and better things. Enjoy!

* * *

Part One

Stage Eleven: History of Woolsworth

The Tower swam into focus like the eyes of a great shark approaching through muddy water. The suncatcher by the window now lay in fragmented pieces on the floor from where it was knocked down by the wind. Jude watched the crystallized orange glass splinters rock back and forth from the vibrations under Scott's feet.

He'd been pacing since Jude woke up.

Skyler was slumped in the corner, twirling one of her white feathers he'd found on the floor between his fingers distractedly. The rain had ceased but the cold returned with the setting sun. Jude closed her eyes and rolled over until her stomach pressed against the inflatable mattress. Why did it seem like it was always night here?

Scott had dutifully patched up the scratches on Jude's arms and feet. The half-moon bite mark on her palm still throbbed from the fizzing cleaner Scott had poured on it a few hours before. Her stomach still felt queasy, and several vertical stretches of blood stained the back of her shirt.

Her cuts on her shoulders were the only wounds she would not allow Scott to tend to. He'd tried before…but his hands felt so cold. As cold as the needled nails that had put the cuts there in the first place. It made her want to cry hard and curl up; so she politely refused and lay down with the wounds still open.

Scott stopped pacing abruptly, running a hand through his dark hair and collapsing on the floor next to Sky. "Don't suppose you've changed your mind about letting me clean up your back?"

Jude shook her head, keeping her eyes shut tight against the candlelight flickering in the corner. Scott nudged Sky and lowered his voice to show that Jude was not involved in their conversation.

"Are you going out?" Scott whispered.

Sky curled his hand into a loose fist and shook his head silently.

"Father Igbi will be upset…"

Jude sat up suddenly; wincing as the cloth of her shirt ran over the cuts, "Look at me." Scott glanced up, surprised at the forcefulness in the usually quiet girl's voice. Jude lowered her head, running a nail over the wood grains in the floor, "I want to know…everything. Why are you keeping things from me?"

Scott shuffled his shoulders hesitantly, drawing his knees up to rest his arms against them. "I…_we_…didn't want you to be afraid. We wanted you to get comfortable here before telling you. It's a lot to take in."

"Tell me now," Jude breathed, sitting cross-legged on the mattress.

Scott stared hard at the tips of his shoes and took a deep breath, the heat from his lungs fogging the glasses perched on his nose. He wiped them off patiently and leaned back against the wall, his gaze growing distant as if he were summoning a distant memory.

"I suppose you could say that it started almost thirty years ago…the day that Alfred Jay Cunnigan set foot on this island. Woolsworth was younger then. A fresh tourists town build right on the bay. It drew in a lot of sightseers, but there were very few permanent residents. Cunnigan set up residents in a shack by the beach. He fit in well locals, and very soon became one himself.

"Many of the townspeople were curious as to where Cunnigan had come from and why he had chosen to settle here. He told them he'd just got off a job and was looking for some peace before heading back out into the real world. Apparently he'd retired from a lab facility near Nevada. He was a technician for genetic research."

Scott paused, rubbing his palms together to ward off the chill that had crept into the room. Jude could feel her knees going numb beneath her, but she pushed the strange sensation away, focusing her full attention on the words spilling from Scott's lips.

"About five years after Cunnigan settled," Scott continued, "a scarlet fever epidemic broke out over Woolsworth. An English woman on her deathbed had always dreamed of coming to this little island. Her sickness spread just days after she passed away in the hotel.

"The tourists stopped coming…a lot of people died. Luckily the sickness was isolated on Woolsworth. 'Evacuate,' the government said. A lot of the locals did…but most stayed. Cunnigan included. He became determined to put a stop to the scarlet fever that took hold of these shores. In a matter of months he build a small lab on the far side of the island. He spent most of his time holed up in the lab…fighting to save his new home.

"Years passed by…and people grew desperate. The government refused to send help for those that were already infected. And often the antidotes they did send failed to adapt. The population was dwindling faster than it could rebuild. Just when it seemed that Woolsworth was lost…Cunnigan recovered a cure.

"The people were given the medicine, and in weeks most had recovered quiet well. The tourists never did come back…but everyone was okay with that. They were alive, and they still had their town. So everyone was happy."

Scott paused, lowering his head as if he'd finished. Jude blinked hard, fighting back the tears of frustration rising in her throat. "That's it?" Scott refused to meet her eye. Jude glared at him hard, "That's everything, then? It doesn't even explain anything!"

"Calm down," Sky muttered, nudging Scott's ribs with his elbow, "he's not done yet. Keep going…you still have a lot to explain."

Scott smiled meekly and massaged his eyes, "Yes…I know. But this next part…it's hard for me to relate. So many of the records were lost in the epidemic, the people of this island aren't even absolutely sure this is how it happened. One thing for sure is that after Cunnigan found the cure…he didn't shut down his little lab. He kept it running. And he kept it to himself.

"The people of this town started seeing less and less of him. He abandoned his shack on the shores and lived almost constantly on the far side of the island…away from everybody. He named his lab after the company he used to work for. He named it Itex."

Outside the sheltered Tower, the rain began to pour again. Pounding harmoniously against the windows like a drummer at a rock concert. Scott paused to watch the rain for a second before continuing.

"His disappearances continued for over a decade. Almost twenty years passed…and then people started going missing. First it was the postman. Next one of the firefighters. Then the man who owned the merchant store. People started to worry again. Had the fever somehow returned? Those who went missing were never heard from again.

"Several of the townspeople went to Cunnigan, hoping he might have an answer. Only one made it back…and in a sorry state, too. He was babbling ludicrous accusations, insisting that Cunnigan was the one to blame for the disappearances. He said that Cunnigan was…experimenting on the ones he'd kidnapped. Morphing them…infusing them…deforming them…and then killing them. The Mayor, despite the one survivors plea for him to stay, decided to check on the lab himself."

Scott glanced over at Sky and rubbed at his chin, "He never came back."

Jude shivered as a droplet of rain wormed through the tiling of the cathedrals roof and dropped to the floor by her hand. "What was Cunnigan doing?"

"It's hard to say," Scott shrugged, "but one thing was for sure. People were dying. And Cunnigan was to blame. The town was at its breaking point when the first Demon showed its face. She was nothing more than one of the locals that had gone missing a few weeks before. Her face was haggard and her ribs were showing…like she'd been starved for months.

"Her actions were…different. Predatory. Like an animal. She was always in motion, staying low to the ground and keeping to the shadows. She attacked a pedestrian in the street…a fisherman whose house was near retrieved a rifle from his closet and shot her. He had no choice. The pedestrian died later in the hospital, her throat torn out by her own neighbors bare hands.

"The town mounted an investigation. Taking in the woman who had been shot and keeping her aside. Her skin burned at the touch of iron, practically falling apart at any of their tools. The most surprising however…was her blood.

"They found…bugs. Small bugs the size of your pinky-nail burrowed into her veins. More were in her heart, in her throat, in her stomach…but most were in her brain. These bugs they…weren't natural. They burrowed under a human's skin and killed the person from the inside. Yet somehow the people remained capable of movement. Though their actions were unstable.

"Some think that the bugs attach themselves to the person's nerves. Controlling the dead body like a train conductor in perfect harmony. It was a time of crisis for Woolsworth. Worse than the scarlet fever. The town was being gutted, and every night more of these…infested Demons made their way into people's houses.

"The only person with the guts to stand up to these monsters was Father Igbi. He was younger then, and full of ideas to save his town. He ordered a wall be built. A wall of iron that cut the island in half, trapping the infested away from those who could be saved. Things quieted down, but every once in a while one would get through. The wall wasn't enough to save Woolsworth, and many people simply decided to leave."

Jude swallowed the icy stone in her throat, "Why…why didn't anyone call for help? Bring in the army…or something."

Scott smiled softly, "The Government had provided no help even when the disease was an easy one to understand. Surely they would turn their backs on an epidemic like _this._ No…the people of Woolsworth stopping putting their hope in the government a long time ago."

Jude felt numb, "What happened to Cunnigan?"

Scott shrugged, "Some say he's dead, killed by his own creations. Others say he's still out there in the forest, recruiting an army of Demons to destroy the town he once called his home."

Sky shuffled next to Scott, turning his attention to the window with unblinking eyes. Jude watched him for several seconds. He looked uncomfortable, like the story got under his skin somehow. She turned back to Scott, trying to stay focused. "Why are you here then? Why don't you leave?"

Still smiling, Scott rubbed his knees sadly, "This place has become my home more than anywhere I've ever been. I have responsibilities here…as groundskeeper." His eyes darted over to where Sky was slumped, a strange look fixed on his face. He noticed Scott's stare and turned away, stiffly getting to his feet and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sleeping," he said bluntly, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Jude bit her lip and hugged her knees to her chest, "Why is _he_ here?"

Scott stared at the closed door sadly, "I met him my first night on this island. He was near death when Lilly and me brought him to the hospital. Remarkably the people of Woolsworth accepted him…some even cherished his arrival. Father Igbi especially. He was convinced…being a religious man himself…that the creatures created by Cunnigan were Demons. Skyler was nothing more than an Angel sent to save them."

Scott snorted and scuffed his feet, "The deal was that Skyler could stay at the cathedral. The townspeople paid for his food, his clothes, and his shelter. And in return, he goes out every night to fight the Demons. In the four years he's been on this island we've only lost three people. It's a miracle, really. The bugs don't seem to take to Sky's blood system. I suspect you'll be exactly the same."

Scott got to his feet with a sigh, stretching his arms above his head to loosen the knots in his shoulders. "Listen. If we don't tend to your back soon it might get infected. Can I please take a look?"

Jude nodded mutely, rolling over onto her back and biting her thumb as she rolled Woolsworth's story over in her head. If Father Igbi insisted Sky was an Angel come to save them…would he expect Jude to save them as well?

Scott's hands were cold on her back…but not nearly as cold as the fear in her chest.


	13. Pt 1 Stage Twelve: FreeFall

A/N: Ahhh! Finally a chapter with just a bunch of STUFF in it. Part two's coming up fast! Enjoy

* * *

Part One

Stage Twelve: Freefall

Nyx landed lightly on the wood floor of the Tower, his bare feet absolutely muted as he padded across the room to where Jude was curled up on the mattress. He crouched slowly, blocking out the moonlight that had fallen over the sleeping girl's face, making her near-translucent skin seem even whiter.

He ran a finger across her cheek…and froze as she rolled over to look up at him.

"I thought you might come."

Nyx let his hand drop and got to his feet, taking several respectable steps back. He smiled and dropped into a low bow, turning up the charisma he was born with. He knew tonight would be touchy…after the incident in the woods. Now that she was aware of what to expect from the island, she would be more careful about strange people. More in particular…him.

"As impossible as it may sound you seem to have grown even more lovely since our last meet dear Dresden. Might I inquire how you are doing this evening?"

Jude lifted herself to her feet, fixing the stained Angel with a cold glare. "Zip it," she muttered, crossing the floor to the desk and leaning against it, "You knew didn't you? You knew about the Demons all along? And not even _you_ told me."

Nyx rolled his head onto his shoulder, tracing a finger over his brow in thought. "Ah…I thought you might be…bitter on this subject. Would it win me any points if I simply said I was trying to protect you?"

Jude smirked, trying to bite down the beating of her heart. She usually didn't act like this…but if she wanted answers she would have to put on a show. Scott and Skyler weren't going to spoon-feed her what she wanted to know, so she'd have to steal it herself. "You're a Demon…aren't you?"

Nyx breathed an intentionally sharp intake of the still night air and turned his head away, silently cursing himself from within. He should have known she'd make some kind of connection…

"No," Nyx finally answered, draping his lean body against the wall, "though I suppose you could say I have a sort of…connection with the infected." He tuned his dark eyes to her and chuckled, "Demons? Is that what the bastard Igbi is calling them now? And I suppose you and the bastard's puppet are angels sent from the cosmos to rid this godforsaken island of its curse?"

Jude's hands curled into fists behind her back, "Don't change the subject. What do you mean you have connections with the Demons?"

Nyx's face darkened and he stiffly got to his feet, his wings already extending as he backed toward the window. He dropped out of sight before Jude could protest, his departing words snatched back to her ears by the wind.

"Ask Igbi's puppet."

* * *

Skyler walked quickly between the broken pews of the cathedral's main hall, his arms springing goosebumps from his lack of a coat. The voice that greeted him from the shadows of the doorway was expected, but still sent shivers down to his wingtips.

"Growing a bit lax, are we?"

Trying to ignore Father Igbi's tall body leaning against the wall just feet from where he stood, Sky stopped his quick walk and unintentionally ducked his head, "There was an incident in the forest toady…Jude needed taking care of."

Igbi stepped out of the shadow and leaned forward until his cold eyes were inches from Sky's ear. "Because of your carelessness…a Demon got loose in the town. Margaret Thatcher, the baker's wife, called me in tears. Two children were playing on the street when the Demon came…it's too late for them but if you hurry you just might be able to save the rest of the town that so graciously took you into its rafters."

Sky could feel his stomach sink at each word Father Igbi whispered, a cold fist tightening in his chest. No…this couldn't be happening. He surveyed the perimeter of the fence every night for almost four years…there had never been a hole. Never. How did the Demon get in?

The wind carried him almost instantly off the ground, the teeth of the night air biting into his bare arms as he tilted his widespread wings toward the flickering lights of town. It didn't occur to Skyler that he was unarmed until his feet touched the pavement of the sidewalk…just inches from the crumpled and bleeding body of a child torn apart by Demon hands.

* * *

The floor creaked under Jude's bare feet as she made her way down the hall. Nyx's words nagged at the back of her thoughts, driving her forward steps as she silently fought with herself. She trusted Sky…but he had already let her down once today. Keeping a secret as big as the Demons away from her until it practically tore her throat out. Nyx was involved with the Demons…and Sky knew something about it.

The doorknob to Sky's room was cold and foreboding under Jude's palm as she ran her fingers over the slick silver. The very grains of wood seemed to scream at her. Turn back! Turn back! Just turn back and crawl into bed like the good pet you are…

The door groaned as it swung open.

Jude suppressed the quiet gasp that threatened to slip from her lips. She opened the door to its fullest extent and took several tentative steps inside. Skyler's room was bigger than the Tower…bigger than the kitchen even. At one time in Saint Aiden's long career it might have served as a conference room.

The floor was gutted of the carpet that once spread across it, replaced now with an endless expanse of shambled printer paper. Graphite figures danced across the scattered sheets, hurried sketches of children picking flowers, a man waiting for the bus in the rain, a grave marker shattered by age, the gaping jaws of some horrible beast…

Jude walked carefully to the center of the room, stepping in the blank patches of the floor where no paper was scattered. She turned around slowly, taking in every sketch and drawing that was littering the floor or posted to the walls…hanging from the ceiling.

The only furniture in the room was a shallow cot with a tattered blanket next to an overturned box that served as a table. On the box were three items; a well-worn pencil, a frayed eraser bud, and a sketchbook with half the pages missing.

Jude stepped over to the crate curiously, her eyes flickering from one drawing to another. It was hard to keep her eyes fixed in one place when there was so much to look at. She sat down on the edge of the cot and picked up an unusually neat pile of papers by her feet.

Every drawing in the stack was a portrait of somebody's face. Each one was different, though most held the same expression of happiness. Jude flipped through the pages, disappointed that Sky wasn't there for her to talk to, but secretly grateful that the meeting could be held off. She vaguely wondered whether he would be angry that she had snuck in here without his permission.

The way he had guarded the room the first time she tried to get in…

The papers slid suddenly from her lap, collapsing to the floor in a waterfall of grinning faces. Jude felt a cold sweat break out across the back as she bent down to pick them up. She had been hoping that she could simply slip out of the room and he wouldn't notice. But now…with the papers scattered everywhere.

Her hand brushed across another face…and she froze.

Dark eyes stared up at her from the depths of familiarly sunken cheekbones, a light strand of hair playing across the smiling boy's face. He looked younger in the drawing…happier somehow. Like all the lines of worry etched above his brow had been lifted away by the smile pulling at his lips.

There…sketched in almost perfect detail…was Nyx.

* * *

Sky bent and placed a two fingers at the base of the silent child's throat, keeping his eyes fixed on the patch of grass growing out of the sidewalk a few feet ahead. He could look anywhere but the girl's face…anywhere but there.

No pulse.

"Dammit," Sky rose from his crouch and gritted his teeth, taking in his surroundings. He mentally calculated how far the attack had been from the home his own guardian lived. Scott had left soon after Jude had fallen asleep, saying he would be back shortly with Lilly and they would all spend the night in the Cathedral.

Now, with a Demon on the loose, both Scott and Lilly were in danger.

Jude as well…

Sky kicked hard at the ground and let a string of foul words pour from his lips. He should have stayed at the cathedral to make sure everyone was safe. He should have stayed to make sure his family was okay…

The clack of metal on metal sounded from the dark space between two of the hardware stores that lined the street. A slick shadow scuttled farther into the darkness, trying to avoid Sky's detection…and failing miserably.

Sky's hand instinctively went to his belt where the heavy weight of the hunting knife was missing. He froze and swallowed the feeling he had tried so hard to deaden for the passed four years. The shadows between the buildings scuffled again, a pale face taking form in the dark…and the feeling came back in full.

The feeling was fear.

And it dripped slowly through Skyler's limbs, paralyzing him to the spot as the Demon finally made its way out of the shadows.


	14. Pt 1 Stage Thirteen: The Leaving Song

A/N: Coming in the next chapter...enter Maximum Ride! Enjoy!

* * *

Part One

Stage Thirteen: The Leaving Song

The clouds were heavy and black as Scott eased the bulky SUV into the narrow parking spaces of Saint Aiden's lot. Lilly was bouncing in the seat next to him, overly excited about spending the night in the drafty old church house. Scott sighed and switched off the engine.

Jude's little disaster in the forest had given him a scare he wouldn't forget anytime soon. He had decided it would be best for both Jude _and_ Sky if he came to stay with them for a while. They were only kids after all.

Lilly had already been standing at the doorway for a good five minutes by the time Scott staggered up the steps with their bags in tow. He scrambled for the keys in his pocket and cursed quietly as they skittered out of his hand and clattered to the ground. Lilly bent swiftly and picked them up, "Priests aren't supposed to swear," she reminded him curtly.

"Thank you," Scott muttered, unlocking the front door with a faint click and letting it swing open. He was a little surprised that it had been locked in the first place…usually Sky left it open in case citizens decided to drop by for a quick prayer in the worn halls. The bags fell to the floor with a hollow thump as Scott rolled his shoulders to work out the knots.

Jude was sitting at the front of the hall, her back toward them and her wings spread wide enough to catch the slight breeze coming through the broken windows. Lilly skipped along the pews and sat next to her, leaning into her shoulder and smiling up at her with wide brown eyes. "Hello."

Jude glanced down at her vaguely, confused for several seconds before she was pulled entirely from her thoughts. "Hey, Lilly," she ran a hand through the little girl's tight braids and tucked in her wings, "why are you here?"

Lilly tucked in her knees and hummed a scattered tune, "Me and Scott are spending the night! Can I sleep in the Tower with you?"

Jude's gaze strayed to where Scott was struggling with the bags at the other end of the hall. She let her hand drop to her lap and frowned. Scott would never tell her this but she knew the whole reason they were staying was to keep her out of trouble. If she hadn't stumbled blindly into the forest the other night…

"Evening, Jude," Scott grunted, heaving a particularly heavy pink bag up the isle, "is Sky home? I need to talk with him." Jude swallowed the stone in her throat. She didn't want anyone to know she'd been in Skyler's room without permission, especially after her discovery of the portraits.

"No…he's not home."

* * *

Sky gritted his teeth as the Demon stared at him through slitted eyes. It was the same little girl who'd attacked Jude in the forest the night before. The skin around the cut in her face was white and blistered, almost as if she'd been burned. Her hands shared the same white sores, several of them erupting streams of blood as she tightened her hands into fists.

Sky fit the pieces together like a puzzle. The wounds on the Demon's hands suggested that she had climbed over the iron fence…completely suicidal for most of the infested. Not only would the skin that touched any part of the fence swelter and warp, but the sheer amount of rusted iron in the air would scorch the girl's lungs.

The Demon, who was already dangerous in the first place, was confused, angry, and in pain. She had lost all concern for her own well-being, replaced instead with a bloodlust that had driven her away from the safety of the forest and provoked the attack on the children playing in the street.

Sky wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, taking several cautious steps back as the Demon crouched low to the street and circled a good twenty yards away. Faces swam through the back of Sky's mind. All the portraits he'd sketched…all the people who'd gone missing.

A name floated to the surface…Noel. That had been the little girl's name before she'd disappeared nearly a year ago. Her mother had lost track of her for a minute…just a minute. They'd held a funeral service. They'd put an empty coffin in the unmarked grave. They moved on…and her mother didn't cry.

"You hurt me real bad."

Sky spread his wings at the sound of the girl's voice, ready to bolt if necessary. Demons rarely spoke, and when they did it was limited to foul cursing and dangerous threats. Yet here was this little girl…Noel…who spoke as if holding a normal conversation. Sky remained silent, a dread seeping into his ribs.

They were getting smarter.

The girl whimpered and rubbed vigorously at the blisters on her face, drawing blood as she scratched with her unkempt nails. "It hurts," she moaned, bending over almost double and sucking in wheezing breaths through her burned lungs. Sky fought back the pity building in his throat. The Demon may have Noel's body…but the human inside had long gone.

She straightened suddenly, stretching her blistered lips over her teeth and lurching forward. In infested were usually swift and quick with their movements. But once burned by iron their motor skills became halted. Skyler dropped into a crouch; quickly calculating his chances of landing a fatal hit on the already half-dead Demon.

Maybe…one in fifty.

He swung hard when she came in range, sweeping his leg toward her ankles and poising for an uppercut in the same motion. She let the first hit land, sending her crashing to the ground and snapping her head against the sidewalk.

Sky blinked in surprise as the breath caught in his throat. Somehow the Demon had managed to catch his fist as he brought it down, strength beyond the skeletal hands holding his knuckles in place inches from the girl's nose. Noel's husk grinned widely as a hiss seeped passed her clenched teeth.

"He told us not to kill you," she wheezed, "but he didn't say anything about hurting…" He sentence was cut off as she fastened her teeth against Sky's forearm, ragged teeth breaking the skin as she bit hard and deep.

Warm blood poured down her throat.

* * *

"Gone?" Scott rubbed the back of his neck, his brow furrowed as he stared hard at the floor. "He shouldn't have left…he knew we were coming. I wonder what he's up to."

Lilly swung her legs and hugged Jude's arm to her chest, happily burying her face into the soft white fabric of the older girl's shirt. "Maybe you should call Father Igbi…he always keeps tabs on Sky. I bet he'll know where he's at."

Scott collapsed into the empty space next to Jude, taking a measured breath and slipping the cell phone from his pocket. Jude smiled down at Lilly and continued running her fingers along the tight-knit braids, listening to the faint ringing of Igbi's phone on the other side of the line. Scott grumbled and snapped the phone shut.

"Voice message. He's not picking up." Lilly suddenly gasped and dropped to the floor, a look of total despair creeping across her face. "Oh no! Scott I forgot something at the house!" Scott glanced in disbelief at the mountain of bags piled in front of them, "Lilly, you practically _brought_ the whole house. What could you possible have forgotten?"

"The popcorn!" Lilly sobbed, "I brought soda and blankets so me and Jude could stay up and watch movies all night…but I forgot the popcorn! Now we're not going to have any fun at all!"

Lilly dropped to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest, sniffing loudly as tears streamed down her face. Jude brushed her fingers over Lilly's shoulder, trying desperately to comfort the little girl. "Lills, we don't need popcorn. We'll still have fun, I promise."

Lilly, refusing to believe that a sleepover would be any fun without popcorn, turned away and began to sob harder. Scott ran a worn hand through his hair and stared at the ceiling, probably asking God why he had ever adopted such a dramatic child. "Lilly," he said evenly, trying to reason with her, "how about we run into town and buy some new popcorn, alright?"

Lilly popped to her feet, dragging Jude off the bench and down the hall with a radiant smile stretching across her face.

* * *

A slight rain had started to drizzle across the windshield as Scott turned a rounded road corner that led to the main street of Woolsworth. Jude ran a finger over the cold glass, tracing a raindrop down until it dropped out of sight. Why did it seem like it was _always_ raining here? Some sunlight would have been nice.

Woolsworth was deserted by the time Scott pulled the SUV to a stop outside a small store with two red doors. He rolled down one of the windows and leaned outside to glance up and down the main street. "Strange," he muttered, shoving the door open with a click, "the rain usually doesn't stop anyone from taking a walk. I wonder where everyone's at?"

Jude dropped down from the SUV and took a deep breath of the wet air, smiling as the rain cooled her skin. It was nice to get out of the cathedral. Jude knocked on the window where Lilly was making sour faces at the falling rain, "Are you coming out?"

"No!" Lilly shouted to be heard through the glass, "I'll get wet!"

Jude shrugged and walked over to where Scott was peering through the fogged glass of the store. He tugged at the door handle and rapped at the glass with his knuckle. "It's locked," he said unnecessarily, "I'm going around to check the back, okay?"

"Mind if I walk down the street?" Jude asked, hugging her arms across her chest. Scott hesitated for a brief second and then nodded, holding his jacket over his head as he scrambled around the side of the store.

Rainwater snaked through Jude's feathers as she spread her wings to catch as much of the moisture as possible. The street ran with dirty water, choking the gutters and sending fallen leaves dancing across the surface. Jude stepped off the sidewalk and walked to the middle of the street, completely soaking the black loafers Scott had loaned her for the trip.

She spun around several times as she walked farther away from the SUV, holding her palms up to the sky and catching the misty rain on her lips. Glancing back at the now distant store, Jude shook her head and turned the corner. Surely Scott wouldn't mind if she went on just a bit farther?

Jude was surprised to find this street occupied. Several figures were at the end of the street, features hazed by the rain. Two were lying on the ground, and the third was crouched over them, rocking back and forth on its heels. Jude glanced down at the water streaming passed her feet, taken aback to find the dirty runoff tinted with pink.

She walked slower now, shielding her eyes from the rain. The figures were about fifty yards away now, making some of the more distinct features recognizable in the spray. Wings. One of them had wings.

"Skyler?" Jude called, her steps growing even slower.

The crouched form stopped rocking, dropping to one knee and spinning around to face her. Jude stopped altogether, almost numbly taking in the scene sprawled out across the street.

A child, one that Jude had never seen before, was crumpled next to the sidewalk, rivulets of blood coloring the water flowing past her and into the gutter. The girl…the Demon…that had attacked Jude in the forest lay not far away, her neck twisted horrible to one side as her unseeing eyes stared up into the falling rain.

Sky was on his knees between them, cradling a torn arm to his chest. He regarded Jude almost in shock, his teeth clenched as he took shuddering breaths to keep from screaming. "Dresden," he breathed, struggling to get to his feet.

Jude took several steps back, the rain finally taking its toll and chilling her deeply. "You kill them," she said whispered dully. Sky paused in his struggle, glancing to the ground as if just noticing the bodies in the street.

"No…I-"

Jude was gone before he could finish, her white wings spread wide against the black sky as she lifted from the ground. The rain swallowed her up in a millisecond, leaving no trace of her presence.

"Jude…" Skyler whispered, falling back to his knees as the pain took hold.

No matter how hard it rained that night…it couldn't wash away _all_ the blood.

**END PART ONE**


	15. Pt 2 Stage One: Maximum Ride

A/N: first stage of part two. Just a little thingy I'd like to clear up before we begin. This whole thing takes place two years after the thirt book. Mostly because I haven't read the fourth book yet, and it would screw the whole story-line up if I did. If you have read the fourth book, just pretend that none of that has happened. Don't make me get out my hypnotic watch! This chapter is written a little more on the bright side. I just wanted to show how sunny and nice the place Max lives is compared to the doom and gloom of Woolsworth. Plus I wanted to write something sunny before we plunge back into the creepy-factory. ENJOY!

* * *

Part Two

Stage One: Maximum Ride

Nudge woke to three sharp raps at her door and the sun streaming through the window. She groaned and rolled away from the light, burying her face in the silky pillow resting beneath her head. The red-light digital clock on the bedside dresser read 7:32, which, in Nudge's mind, was _waaaay_ to early to wake up.

"Go away!" Nudge mumbled at the persistent rapping at the door.

"Breakfast is ready," Gasman's horse voice responded from behind the wood. Nudge couldn't keep the wicked grin off her face as she rolled out of bed. Fang had taken Iggy and Gasman to a local concert at a nearby high school the night before. According to their very own blind eyewitness, Gasman had gone all out on screaming and cheering.

He'd be croaking for days.

* * *

Max set down a ceramic plate on the worn card table they used as kitchen table, wincing at the terrible clattering it made as it spun. She folded her arms across her chest and tallied up a headcount as the troops lazily poured into the small kitchen.

Gasman and Iggy, both horse but still alive after their little concert experience slumped in the seats like potato sacks. Angel bobbed around on the pile of books she used in order to feel equal in height at the table. Nudge pushed the still-runny egg around on her plate with a frown. Total shuffled his paws and glared up at the table before silently returning to the dog-dish set on the floor. And Fang…was still asleep…

Max shrugged and fell into her own chair, grateful to be off her feet. She'd been fretting around all morning trying to make sure things were straightened up all nice and tidy…which, normally wasn't something that bugged her. Still, the fact that Doctor Martinez had left them alone with her house showed that she trusted them to keep it clean. A trust that Max wasn't willing to loose easily.

Doctor Martinez was out of state on veterinary business; and Ella had gone on a month-long ski trip with her friends in the Appalachians. Which meant things had reverted pretty much back to the way they'd been two years ago. Fending for themselves. No supervision. Slack schoolwork. Junk food all hours of the day. Yeah…pretty much back to normal.

Oh…except for Jeb.

After the whole 'saving the world' thing had blown over, Max decided it would be good to set up roots somewhere. What better place than her own mothers? Okay, so cramming six avian freaks, one talking dog, a formally evil scientist, a hormonal human teenager and a veterinary scientist under one roof had been a little tight at first. Somehow they managed until the remodeling was done.

Surprisingly food was the least of their worries. _Somehow_ Jeb always managed to have a pocket full of cash and a great big smile that said 'please leech me out of my retirement funds to pay for your food'. All right so the guy was trying pretty hard to win back Max's affection. Unfortunately, it was going to take a lot more than a box of Little Debbie snacks and a bag of chips to do that.

"Can ew' pas de salt?" Gasman croaked, his voice cutting out through half the words to the point where everyone had to fit his sentence together like a puzzle to work it out. Max slid the salt-shaker across the table, "I hope you've all learned your lesson. Save screaming for when you really need it. Like 'Oh my God there's a big fat Eraser trying to tear my face off' need it."

Iggy snorted and stabbed at his eggs, "We haven't seen an Eraser for two years."

Max chewed thoughtfully and stared at the ceiling. True. After Itex's evil plan blew up in their face they hadn't seen hide nor hair of any Eraser. To be honest…without the big bad wolf knocking on their door every day, life had grown increasingly…boring. Max was almost horrified to admit she might be going stir-crazy.

Of course you don't just go from being on the run and on your toes _all the time_ to laid back and easy in a heartbeat. Still, after two years of absolute silence and peace you think the fight or flight instinct would wear off. Guess not.

"Did everyone finish their homework?" Max asked, like a good responsible adult would. Angel puckered up her lip and pushed at her eggs, "I want to go outside today. Can we? It's all sunny now."

Max leaned back in her chair, something she had advised herself _not_ to do after she'd broken the last one, and peeled back the curtain to peek outside. Without a doubt the rain clouds from last night had blown over, leaving the grass blanketed in a carpet of dew. They didn't get rain too often, living next to a desert and all. It was nice to see everything wet for once.

Max nodded and swallowed the salty eggs, "Yeah, okay. Would someone wake Fang up? I don't want him sleeping the whole day and we could all use the fresh air."

Which…in truth was kind of a lie. Since the Martinez estate was so small the flock spent most of their time outside anyway. Using the house only for the necessities like sleeping and eating. Maybe they could even drag a picnic basket out for lunch.

Angel nodded with a sweet smile, "A picnic sounds good. We can even invite the girl by the lake. I'm sure she'd like it too."

Max was about to scold Angel for reading thoughts again when the little girl's words sunk in. Girl by the lake? Wha-? Max put on her best patience face and folded her arms on the table, leaning forward until she was at Angel's eyelevel. "What girl, sweetie? Who are you talking about?"

Angel shrugged and chewed slowly, "She came out of the rain last night. I think she might be in trouble…she's sad. A picnic would cheer her up! Can we invite her too?"

Max shot a meaningful glance at Nudge who nodded once and got to her feet, rushing down the hall to wake Fang so they could all go together. "Iggy can you pack us a lunch? I think we might be needing it."

* * *

Jude shifted uncomfortably against the pine-needles pressing into her neck, closing her eyes hard against the blinding sunlight. She didn't know where she was…or how long she'd been asleep. What she remembered was flying all night in the rain. Flying away from that island. As far away as possible.

Her shoulders ached, sending sharp stabs of pain down her back. She hadn't been built for flying long distances. Her muscles were weak and underdeveloped. How far had she made it? Was she even off the island?

A faint memory of churning waves skimming at her feet surfaced through the haze in her eyes. She had flown over the ocean at some point…she must be off the island. A steadily building pain clenched in her chest. She was off the island…away from Scott and Lilly…Skyler. Far away from the only family she had ever known.

Jude tightened her hand into a fist under her chin, pulling herself into a tighter ball on her bed of needles. She was still wet from the rain…always raining. Why was it always raining? Yet…it wasn't raining now. The sun was almost blinding. She had grown so used to the rain and the dark.

The sound of running water echoed off the trees somewhere nearby. Maybe the ocean? Or a river of sorts? Jude whimpered and pressed her back against the rough tree trunk behind her, nothing like the smooth silver oaks that lined Saint Aiden's. Still, the tree was a constant. The only solid in this otherwise hazy world.

Jude closed her eyes and took measured breaths, feeling her lungs expand and compress against her ribs. She should get up and find shelter…away from prying eyes. The locals at Woolsworth had accepted her wings out of their desperation for a savior. Any person who didn't live on the island would react differently. Perhaps even violently.

Footsteps crunched nearby.

Jude's stomach sank as she struggled to raise herself up from the ground. Her arms trembled beneath her like thin corn stalks, ready to snap and send her spilling back to the ground at any moment. She had to move…had to hide. If they found her like this…what would they do?

Nothing.

There was nothing they could do.

Nothing they could do to hurt her more.

Jude crumpled back into her ball and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe they would think she was dead and move on? Maybe they wouldn't even see her…

The steps crunched closer.

Jude could feel her heart roaring in her chest, making her dizzy. She opened her eyes a crack and was startled to find her vision growing narrow. A low buzzing build behind her ears. She sank into the familiar darkness with relief. Praying that if she couldn't see them…they wouldn't see her.

Max knelt next to the white girl's still form, brushing a finger over her neck to check for a pulse. She was alive…


	16. Pt 2 Stage Two: Of Wings

A/N: just a filler chapter, nothing too exciting.

* * *

Part Two

Stage Two: Of Wings

Skyler sat hunched over his knees on the shattered pew just below one of the few windows that were intact. Despite his heavy coat a cold breeze still managed to snake its way under his skin, making him shiver and curl up further. He shuffled his wings and wrapped them around him as well. It was an uncomfortable position, but at least it kept the chill out.

Two days.

It had been two days since Jude had disappeared into the storm. Everyone who knew had been scouring the island nonstop for forty-eight hours. Even some of the locals, who had never met her before, pitched in to search on the safe side of the iron fence. Skyler kept his eye on the faces of the Demons that flashed below him during his flights across the fence. Always expecting to see her there…

Sky hugged his shivering arm closer to his chest, trying his hardest to ignore the throb that beat against the tightly wrapped wound digging into the skin. Scott had been wary at first, wondering whether or not the bite was infested with the bugs that swarmed in the veins of the Demons. It wasn't the first time Sky had been hurt by the Demons, and somehow he always managed to escape without infection. The virus had more than enough chances to take over him…it just didn't seem interested.

He told us not to kill you…

A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold lanced up Skyler's back, making him grimace in pain as his arm tensed. Not to kill him. That's what Noel had said before Sky had killed her. He'd always had suspicions that the Demons were working under a higher power. Most of their brains were too infested with bugs to function properly anyway. Simple body puppets that were too ill to realize food and sleep were a necessity.

Was it Cunnigan?

Nobody had seen the man since he locked himself away all those years ago. Father Igbi was positive that Cunnigan himself created the Demons. It made sense that they would only respond to their creator. Yet…why would Cunnigan work so hard to destroy the town he once saved? Somehow the puzzle wasn't fitting together like it should. There were loose edges and wide gaps…jagged holes.

The cathedral door opened with a groan, shutting in a similar fashion a few seconds later. Sky twisted around and slid off the bench as Scott jogged up the isle with his black umbrella still clutched in his fist.

"Did you find her?"

Scott bent over double and took several deep breaths, shaking his head and letting the umbrella clatter to the floor. "No sign. I don't think she's on the island anymore."

Sky rubbed hard at the back of his neck, "She couldn't have gone far."

Scott straightened himself and traveled the few steps to a nearby pew, collapsing into the bench and spreading his arms out across the backrest. He shook his head, scowling as his glasses slid down to the end of his nose and threatened to topple off. "Skyler…can you heart the wind outside? We haven't had wind like this since Woolsworth was founded. It could have carried her miles away."

Sky groaned and sank into the empty space next to Scott, pressing his forehead firmly into his hands. Several black feathers swayed to the floor as he took a deep breath and slumped against the backrest. "I just…wish I had a chance to explain. She took off so fast…" he paused, picking at the frayed edges of the bandage, "…she thinks I murdered those kids."

Scott stared silently at the windows rattling in their frames as the wind beat against them. He slid his hand behind his head and sank into further into the bench, taking a final deep breath as a lull in the storm hovered overhead.

"Jude's a smart girl…she'll figure it out."

* * *

Jude cracked her eyes open into thin slits and sucked in a sharp breath as the sunlight hit her full on. For a few seconds it was almost funny. She had grown so used to the sun hiding behind the clouds…she'd almost forgotten how sunlight felt. Keeping her eyes closed, Jude spread her fingers wide to soak in the warmth.

A light touch brushed a ticklish strand of hair from her face.

Jude moaned and rolled toward the touch, "Sky?"

The rounded face of a little girl smiled down at her, sunlight playing off her light blonde curls like ballet dancers across a stage. She blinked her wide blue eyes and smiled sweetly, "Are you awake now?"

Startled, Jude forced her eyelids open and propped herself up on an elbow, biting back another groan as a wave of dizziness hit her hard. The blond girl leaped down from the stool she'd been sitting on and darted to the slightly open doorway across the room, poking her head out, "Max! She's awake!"

She was back at the bedside in a heartbeat, pulling herself up onto the stool and tucking her chin against her knees. "My name's Angel…what's yours?"

Jude blinked fuzzily and swallowed what appeared to be a cotton ball lodged in her throat, "Um…" her sentence cut off as her attention was drawn to the room. The wallpaper was light purple dusted with a darker blue, accenting the spotted gray carpet with an innocent feel. A poster of an eagle was tucked away next to the window, its large golden eyes staring out across the room like a guardian.

"Well?" Angel prompted, leaning forward and bouncing a bit.

The door opened silently, the polar opposites of the creaking doors of Saint Aiden's, and another girl slipped inside. "Angel," she said firmly, closing the door behind her, "don't pester, it's rude."

Angel's lips puckered and she turned to Jude looking shamefaced, "Sorry."

Jude pressed her back against the wall, taking comfort in a sturdy and solid object in the otherwise spinning room. "S'okay," she muttered, the dregs of sleep making her speech heavy. The unkempt barbs of her feathers poked through the fabric of her shirt, making her uncomfortable.

Her feathers…

Jude froze, adrenaline pumping the sleep from her veins and jolting her into awareness. If these people had carried her all the way from where she fell in the storm…they must had noticed her wings. Of course they would've noticed! It was kind of hard to miss…

Angel twisted around in her chair to address the older girl, her feet swinging several inches from the floor, "Can I make her breakfast, Max? I promise I won't burn it like last time."

The older girl, Max, wrinkled her nose, "Fine…but let Iggy help."

The blood pounded in Jude's ears as Angel jumped down from the stool for the second time that morning and scrambled out the door. A trail of white feathers in her wake…

It wasn't until then that Jude registered they both had wings.

Oh…

Jude passed out before Max even had time to introduce herself.

* * *

Max sighed and ran an arm over her forehead, latching her other hand against her waist as the white girl slumped against the wall. She'd been expecting a surprised reaction. Maybe a few screams, a stream of swearing, an unbelieving gasp. The fact that the white girl had wings herself made Max consider their own abnormality wouldn't be too big of a deal.

Guess she was wrong.

A soft knock at the door beckoned Max to turn around. Angel was peering inside with a slight look of nervousness, "Uh…her name is Jude." She slipped away before Max had the chance to scowl. One of these days she was really going to have to talk to Angel about the whole mind-reading thing.

Max turned back to the white girl and took a deep breath, crossing the room to the window and sliding the curtains shut. She looked like she needed sleep anyway…wouldn't hurt to squeak in a few more hours. The girl looked a little uncomfortable slouched against the wall like that…

Max didn't move her. It didn't matter that she had wings like them, she was still a stranger and that made her a threat. The Flock hadn't heard a peep from Itex for two years, and suddenly another one of their experiments falls out of the sky? The whole situation reeked of a trap.

The well-oiled door didn't make a sound as Max shut it behind her, pausing only temporarily to glance at the stranger propped up against the wall. What was it that Angel had said? Jude. That was her name.

Max bit at her lip and shut the door.

Jude…


	17. Pt 2 Stage Three: Mother Goose

A/N: Eh...nothing to say except enjoy! :fizzles out: geh, i'm tired. 0o

* * *

Part Two

Stage Three: Mother Goose

The sky was darkened by the time Jude regained consciousness. A full moon soared across the star-shot sky without the interruption of the clouds she had grown used to in Washington. It was amazing to see the stars laid out from one horizon to the other, almost as if the ocean had been launched into the sky and was just floating miles above.

Jude stayed curled up on her side until the dizziness washed from her mind, leaving her surprisingly refreshed. Even the ache in her shoulders had vanished with the passing hours. After fifteen minutes of staring out the window in a half-asleep state, Jude rolled to the edge of the bed and swung her feet over the side.

"Did I wake you up?"

Jude started at the sound of another's voice coming from the far side of the room. Angel was sitting at the lip of the large desk in the corner, a bright over-head lamp shining down on the book clasped firmly in her lap. She rested her chin against the desk and continued to stare innocently.

"No," Jude muttered, suddenly ashamed that she had passed out at the sight of something that should have felt natural to her. Still, more people like her were the last thing she'd been expecting so far away from Woolsworth. Maybe there were a lot more of her kind in the world that she hadn't even known about. After all, the only memories she had of her life were the few short weeks she'd spent with Scott.

Angel scooted down from the desk and shuffled over to the bedside, a large unmarked volume clutched to her chest. "Do you like Mother Goose?" she asked, sliding the book into Jude's lap and heaving herself onto the soft mattress beside her. Jude ran her fingers along the patterned cover of the book, shaking her head ever so slightly in the faint light.

"Who's Mother Goose?"

Angel took the book away and opened it to a page marked with a dog-ear. The text on the page was scattered around in a way Jude had seen in the hymnbooks at Saint Aiden's. The verses were much shorter than the long complicated hymns, and were accompanied by old-fashion pictures of assorted children's fantasies.

"Mother Goose writes Nursery Rhymes," Angel explained, dutifully pointing to one of the passages in the book, "Like 'The Cow Jumped Over the Moon', and 'Hey Diddle, Diddle'. You've never read them before?" She pushed the book back into Jude's lap and pointed to one of the verses.

"Ring around the Rosies," Jude read, tracing her fingers over the words. Angel happily leaned back on her fists while Jude read through several pages of Mother Goose's finest work. Feeling a little unnerved by the double-bladed words, Jude closed the book and politely handed it back. "They're very nice. Thank you for showing them to me."

Angel nodded happily and bounced a bit on the springy mattress, "Mother Goose is my favorite. Gazzy says they're for babies…but I don't think so. I never got to read them when I was younger so I'm making up for it now!"

She leaned forward on her fists and fixed Jude with her azure blue eyes, pressing her lips tightly together and almost squinting as if to examine her. "Just for the record…I think it's better that you don't remember anything. Itex is a bad place that did a lot of bad things. It's good that you can forget all of it and start off new."

Jude bit at the skin of her lip and curled her chilled legs up to her chest, "How…did you know?"

Angel's face dropped and she stared at the ground looking angry with herself, "I'm sorry. Max says I'm not suppose to poke around in people personal lives…but you came out of _nowhere_ and I needed to make sure you weren't going to hurt anyone. You can forgive me, right?"

Jude swallowed the lump in her throat, thoroughly confused, "For what?"

Angel's eyebrows shot up and she glanced over her shoulder nervously, leaning forward as if to reveal some great secret. "For reading your mind. I promise I didn't listen to anything _too_ personal…I just wanted to know who you were."

Jude stared at her dumbly for several seconds before her words sunk in. She sighed and leaned back against the far wall, rubbing a hand over her face the way she'd seen Scott do when he was stressed. "You…_read minds_?" Jude almost laughed to herself. For some reason Angel reading minds didn't freak her out. Living in a world of Angels and Demons could do that to a person.

"I forgive you," Jude said hesitantly, still not sure how to speak to this little girl she was a complete stranger to, "just…don't do it again, okay?"

Angel beamed and bounced on her knees, "Kay! Oh, and you know what else? I think you should call them."

Jude sighed, her eyelids growing heavy at the thought of sleep, "Call who?"

Still bouncing, Angel doubled her efforts by rocking back and forth in the same motion, "The others you lived with on the island. I know you didn't really want to leave there…so I think you should call them so they can explain things better. Then you can go home and everyone can be happy again."

Jude shook her head, giving up on trying to hide things from the younger girl, "I can't go back there…ever. Even if I did…nobody on that island could ever be happy."

Angel cocked her head against her shoulder and chewed at her lip, "Maaaybe," she pondered, "but you won't ever know until you call them. The phone's on the on the counter down the hall, just next to the kitchen. I'm not saying you _have_ to, but I really do think you should."

And with that, Angel bounced off the bed and shambled out of the room, the Mother Goose book held loosely under one arm. Jude watched her leave until the door clicked shut silently behind her. Taking deep breaths to loosen the knot in her chest, Jude unfolded her wings to air them out and continued to stare out the window.

Nearly a half-hour later, she slid off the bed and quietly shuffled to the door, opening it gently and stepping out of the room. Just on the other end of the hall a small shelf could be made out against the dark. Sitting perfectly against the wood, a black phone was hooked to its receiver, the red light blinking modestly beside it.

* * *

Scott leaned away from the cathedral's bathroom sink and glanced down the hall with a knotted brow, the still foaming toothbrush hanging loosely from his mouth. Somewhere in the empty recess of Saint Aiden's…a phone was ringing. Adjusting the toothbrush, Scott spat into the sink and wiped his mouth, traveling quickly down the stairs to reach the phone next to the kitchen door.

It was strange that someone would be calling the cathedral so late at night…or even at all. If any of the citizens needed to reach Scott they could simply call his cell. The corded phone bolted to the wall was hardly ever used aside from the occasional take-out order or distress call from Lilly (who, for some reason, could never remember Scott's cell-phone number in an emergency).

The phone clicked quietly as Scott lifted it from its rest, pressing the chilled plastic speaker to his ear and speaking in a confused tone: "Hello?"

The other line was silent for a moment. Scott could hear shuffling in the distance, but no voice responded to his greeting. Just as Scott was about to hang up, convinced it was a teenager somewhere in the world pulling a prank call, a quiet voice responded.

"Scott?"

The toothbrush clutched in Scott's hand clattered to the floor as his body went limp with relief. He slumped against the wall and took several stabling breaths, "Jude? Is that you? God, we've been so worried. Where are you?"

Silence. Then…

"_I'm not sure where I'm at. The wind blew me so far away…some friends took me in. I think I'll be safe with them. They're…well, they're like me. Wings and all."_

Scott shook his head, pressing that new information back so he could attend to the more important matters, "Are you hurt?"

"_No, I'm fine."_

Scott pressed his back to the wall and slid down to sit against the floor, scowling as the cord got tangled around his neck. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he was flushed with concern for his newest charge. It had been almost three days since she'd flown away and he was beginning to think…

"Jude…you need to come home. Everyone's been searching for you. The whole town! I don't think Skyler's gotten a decent nights sleep since you left…he's sorry you had to see those kids, but you have to understand he didn't kill anyone. Please, Jude. Lilly hasn't stopped crying since you left… please come home…"

He let his sentence hang, unable to continue due to the lump in his throat.

The silence at the other end of the line pressed on for what seemed like an eternity. A cold sweat broke out across Scott's brow as he rubbed his moistened palms against the carpet. What if she didn't want to come back? She might be happier where she was at…with more of her kind…away from Woolsworth's mess.

"Scott?"

He glanced up hopefully, "Yeah?"

"_I'm coming home."_


	18. Pt 2 Stage Four: The Third Agreement

A/N: sorry for the long wait...I was at a ninja convention trying to learn how to use chopsticks without wanting to snap them in half! Fear my mighty update! HWAAA!

P.S.- After this things start to move a little fast. XD

* * *

Part Two

Stage Four: The Third Agreement

Jude tightened her fists under the table as Max set a chipped ceramic plate on the mat in front of her. She forced a smile and offered some sort of thanks as the older girl sat down across the table from her. Jude picked up her fork and took a deep breath, tapping at the plate with her fork as Max waited for her to speak.

After the talk with Scott, Jude hadn't slept the rest of the night. In the morning, Max had come into the room and offered for her to eat breakfast with them. Jude accepted more out of politeness than hunger; her stomach was too twisted with nerves to hold down much food anyway.

"Uh…" she stared down at the shriveled bacon dominating her plate, "…it looks good…thanks."

Angel beamed from where she sat next to Max; swinging her legs from the pile of books she was perched on. "You really think so? I made it myself! Well…Iggy helped a little."

Iggy snorted from the far end of the card-table, his pale hands folded over the top of his empty plate. In fact, the only person on the table to have anything on their plate was Jude. The six other crammed individuals sat silently, their eyes occasionally straying to the stranger sitting at their table.

Jude swallowed hard and snapped off the end of a bacon strip, crunching it in her mouth and wincing as it scraped down her throat. Angel stared at her hopefully, her little hands folded in her lap as her eyes grew wide. Jude forced another smile, a habit that she was becoming accustom to and nodded, "It's good. Thanks, Angel."

Angel gave a little cheer and slid off the stool, promptly ignoring the empty plate at her spot and scampering to the kitchen door. She paused at the handle, as if suddenly remembering something, and turned back to look at Max with joy on her lips. "Max, can I go outside now? I'm not really hungry."

Max simply nodded, her arms folded across her chest as she leaned back on the folding chairs positioned around the table. The sliding screen door shuddered as it sprang open and Angel burst into the warm sunlight, holding her arms above her head as she darted across the lawn, wings exposed.

"Wait!" Gasman hollered, practically falling off the chair in his haste to catch her. In seconds Nudge and Iggy had followed, leaving Jude, Max, and Fang sitting reverently at the table in absolute silence.

Fang prodded at his fork, "Nice kids," he mumbled.

Max sighed and laughed, "You can leave too if you want, I'm not forcing you to stay." Fang held up his hands to show he was fine with their company and leaned back to observe the conversation in his preferred state…mute.

Jude watched as a fly crawled over the bacon on her plate, refusing to meet Max's eyes as she leaned forward on the table with her fingers interlaced. She looked so serious in the warm kitchen…motherly in a way. Like this is where she was meant to be. Looking after her family like a good mother should.

"Jude," Max said evenly, her voice firm and slow, "I want you to know that we would never think badly of you…but you _are_ a stranger in this household and I think it's fair we know a thing or two before talking about the next step. It's wrong to judge, I know that, but if you can't explain where you're from and who you are…I'm afraid we'll have to view you as a threat. Jude…are you listening?"

Jude glanced up from the table, finally meeting Max's eyes and regretting it instantly. She nodded, pressing her lips close together as she dug her nails into her palm. Who was she? Where was she from? Who…was she? Jude shrugged, offering a slight smile in hopes of making herself feel better.

"I'm just…Jude."

Max shot a quick glance in Fang's direction before returning back to the stranger in her presence, "I think you'll have to do better than that. Are you from Itex? Has anyone outside of the others and me seen your wings? You're not…in some kind of trouble are you?"

The sound of laughing could be heard from outside as Nudge kicked a beaten ball into Gasman's waiting arms, Total's furry paws scampering at his feet as the dog begged to take a shot with the ball. Angel scooped Total up in her arms and spun them both around very fast, her wings wrapping around them and shedding feathers all over the clean cut grass. Still, the sun continued shining.

"Yes," Jude finally answered, her eyes focused on the strand of sunlight playing across the table, "I'm in trouble. More than you know. There are monsters…Demons. A place in desperate need of a miracle. It's always raining there…I don't know why but it's always raining. And a person…who is expecting more out of me than I could ever hope to offer. I ran away from it all…but I have to go back now. I promised."

She stood up slowly, the chair sliding out from beneath her as the rose, keeping her eyes fixed on the table, the floor, the wall…anywhere but Max's penetrating eyes. "I'm sorry if I've been a bother to you and your family. I'll leave as soon as I can. Thank you…for everything you've done…but there's somewhere I need to be."

Jude turned to leave, wanting more than anything to crawl back under the dark covers of the soft bed just down the hall. She could rest here until first mornings light the next day…then take a bus to Washington's coast. There was a barge there that traveled back and forth from Woolsworth once a week.

"Jude," Max pressed, an edge of warning in her voice, "please, sit back down. We need to talk…really talk. I want to hear your story, okay? I want to help you."

The floor creaked quietly as Jude swayed from one side to the other, wrapping her thin arms tightly around herself as the sunlight through the windows beat against her wings. Scott had said the islanders were sworn to a code of secrecy. Nobody outside the island knew of the Demons…and nobody outside was ever_ supposed_ to know. Did it count if the person she told could help them? Help them all?

And just like that…she told Max everything.

* * *

Jude scrunched her legs up to her chest and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, pressing herself closer to the window so she could see the moon. The door opened quietly behind her and shut in the very same matter. Jude didn't even turn to see who it was, but continued to stare at the night sky.

Max sat down at the edge of the bed and leaned back on her fists the way Angel had when they spoke of Mother Goose just the other day. She tilted her head toward the ceiling and took a deep breath as Jude slowly turned to face her.

"You don't believe me…do you?"

Max laughed softly and collapsed back on the bed, her wings crumpling beneath her as she stretched her arms over her head. In that moment she looked more like her own age than Jude had ever seen before. "I believe…" Max mused, shutting her eyes and folding her arms behind her head, "that you're telling the truth. I also believe, that I can help you."

Jude was almost ashamed to admit she could feel her mood lighten at Max's words. It was true that she dreaded returning to Woolsworth…but to see Scott's face again…Lilly's…Skyler's. It made all the dread wash away. "You really think you can help me?"

Max chewed at her lip, "I can take you back to Woolsworth…that's for certain. Washington's not that far away, we can take a bus. However…once we get to Woolsworth, I'm not sure if I can help much. From what you've told me it seems you have a very large pest problem on that island…but, I'll see what I can do."

Jude shifted nervously, "What about your family? You're not taking all of them, are you? I don't think it would be the safest place for them…"

Max waved the comment away, "I'm the only one going…though I'm pretty sure Fang will butt in at some point and he'll end up coming as well. Don't worry about us; we can take care of ourselves. It's your little family that I'm worried about. Will all those people on the island be safe? From the Demons, I mean?"

Jude shrugged, "A lot have been killed already, but they won't leave."

Max rolled back to the edge of the bed and pulled herself up into a sitting position with a groan, "Stubborn. I've dealt with the type before. We'll just have to work around them. Can you promise me something, Jude?"

Returning her stare to the window, Jude nodded.

"When the time comes…_if_ the time comes…I want you to stay out of the fight."

Jude glanced over a Max, surprised. The older girl got to her feet and backed out of the room, "Get some sleep, okay? We have a long day tomorrow."

Jude nodded, whispering a faint 'kay' as the door clicked shut.

"Goodnight, Max."


End file.
